My point is that it was definitely not clear that Hayward should be maxed at that point. It turned out in the end that it would have been a good decision but at the time it was not clear at all. Whether you thought so and were right doesn't matter. Nobody, Hayward himself, could have stated at that point 100% that he would be worth a max contract. This is why I don't blame DL at all for how he handled it. In hindsight maybe it would have turned out differently, but we will never know. It is still very possible Hayward would have left anyways for some other slight or reason. My point with the decreased efficiency, is to back up the thought that it was not clear what he would become. It was a coin flip. For all we knew that could have been his peak because often players when they hit that age and experience in the league they don't continue with the consistent improvements.
To blame DL for a 50/50 decision where he went the safe route is nitpicky imo, especially after we saw KOC get crushed for the AK47 max decision that hurt us for years.
