Commit a huge chunk of your salary cap to a player who has committed themselves to leaving?
What happens if he does stays on that money because no club will trade for him on top of that huge salary? How will a large chunk of the Richmond list who won't get as much of the pie now feel? It's nice to think everyone will still be friends, and maybe they'll all put on smiles. But you've got 40-odd young men who aren't all close friends and I guarantee it will rub enough of them the wrong way to cause issues.
Or what happens if a trade can't get done and he leaves you for absolutely nothing via the PSD? Don't say no one does that, because they have. It just hasn't happened in a while because clubs don't think like supporters. They'll take the emotion out of it and make the best business decision.
There's way more to the risk assessment here than weighing up losing a player like him for pick 10 in the draft. Way more.
It's not like Richmond wouldn't speak to him or his manager between the initial offer and the last day.
Richmond probably have an offer for something like $1Million out now.
Dusty/Carr, once the season ends...North has offered us $1.25M
Richmond: Yeah, OK, we'll match that, Good enough?
D/C: It'll do for now...
Carr goes off, tries to talk north up/get other bidders and comes back with an offer of $1.4M
Richmond $1.3
D/C: Yeah, we need a bit better than that.
<short delay>
R: Yeah, OK $1,399,999...
D/C: Done.
Deal gets signed, announcements are made as if there was never really any serious thought of leaving, and a big deal about how he was offered more elsewhere but chose to stay at the club he loves... etc. etc. spin spin spin bullshit bullshit etc...