I don't make the guy in the lead BETTER.

You're improving your team but not just for the sake of improving your team. It's to WIN the whole damn thing.

trading with the front runner, no matter how much better it makes you, only pushes you further out from winning because they are obviously trading with the intent to fill a void/get better. It's like chopping off your foot to run faster because it makes you lighter.

Never trade with the guy in front unless you manage to cripple them and strengthen you in some way. I negotiate evenly with most deals but I'm very keen to how the trade helps the other team. If I feel like it makes them too dangerous for me to compete with them after the trade, I won't do it without getting more pieces out of it.

Magilla can't compete with TJT's team right now even more so than before the trade.

Can't do it.