It would be conjecture also if it weren't for the fact that player movement is Geoff's JOB.
As far as arguing to argue, I would honestly like to know why the Maloofs are considered the source of many of Petrie's moves. (I'm not even trying to make the point that they are given credit for all his stupid ones)
Well being you asked, and remember, this is just conjecture, I think you have to look at Petrie's total record since he's been here, and see if you notice anything that seems out of normal for him.
We all know he was close friends with Adelman. He hired him. He also quit his job in Portland over the firing of Adelman up there, so he clearly has loyality to his friends. So it wouldn't be too much of a reach to believe that the Maloofs, who didn't like Adelman, were totally responsible for his departure. If true, then they clearly did so against his opposition.
Its also pretty common knowledge that Peja was Petrie's boy. He scouted him. He drafted him ( a lot of Boo's ). And he waited for him to be free from his oversea's commitments. So once again, its not much of a reach to believe that he was not the driving force behind trading Peja for Artest. It appeared to have the Maloof's fingerprints all over it.
If you look at Petrie's personality what do you see? He's pretty laid back. Seems to overthink things a little too long at times. He's very careful with his words. He's also very loyal to his players, which is why he's so secretive about his trades. He hired Adelman, a coach with a similar personality, and with experience. Does Musselman seem like the kind of coach he would hire? For that matter, does Reggie?
The Maloof's are very proactive owners. Don't be fooled by their smiling faces and the pr that they put out. They have big ego's, and from time to time those ego's are going to raise their ugly heads. What do you do if your Petrie. You've already pulled up roots from Portland. You like living in Sacramento. your family is involved in the community. You either acquiesce, or you look for another job.
Look, the Maloof's may have been the one's that decided to prolong the good times, but Petrie is the one that had to do the bidding for them. He's the one that signed Mikki Moore and SAR. Whether he was behind the Webber trade or was pushed into it, it is what it is and he has to take whatever heat thats associated with it.
In the end, going over it again and again isn't going to change it, and knowing who's responsiblile is still just conjecture.