I'm not saying what you are saying is dumb, I just wouldn't like it.Don't get me wrong. I see your point and I don't mind at all that plan... I just think the other plan is not unreasonable at all, either. IMO if such scenario presents itself there is a serious discussion DL and the FO will have to have about whether it's prudent to trade a player like Ayton. This is one that we might regret. Furthermore in my plan you keep Gobert at least for a year. You can still trade Ayton the following draft if Gobert's injury issues seem to be behind him and if him and Mitchell are gelling well. Or you can trade Gobert if Ayton seems like a future monster and top 10 player(IMO there is a significant chance of this being the case). You keep your options open... and you all but ensure you will be having a monster center for the foreseeable future. + you give yourself a chance to draft one of the premier wings coming into the draft in 2019. Cam Reddish, RJ Barrett, Zion... I can see all of them fitting real well with both Mitchell-Gobert and Mitchell-Ayton core...
Yeah, but if you wait a year to trade him, you are risking a depreciation in value. He might have a so-so rookie year as a backup. With a guy who has as much hype as him, expectations will be high. And like you said, there is a chance he might be top 10. Gobert has already had a season where he had top 10 impact and that was just w/ George Hill and Gordon Hayward w/ Boris Diaw as his starting PF.
I also think at some point you have to look at what you have and say "Ok, we are doing this thing w/ this core" rather than just delaying that moment in favor of more youth/possible potential.