Well, that's what owners (or any prospective buyer) does. You can't expect JR to wade into Free Agency or the trading pool with a big sign that says "willing to spend a ton to get what we want", because chances are you're going to end up vastly overpaying or overvaluing what you get.
Think about it, if you go into Best Buy looking for a TV, and you tell the first salesman that asks that you are looking for a 36" TV and have around $2000 to spend, you're probably not going to be shown the 36" sets they have in the $600-$1200 range, are you? No, the salesman is going to take you to the sets that cost two grand flat, and work from there.
There's a difference between actually having the money to spend and showing your hand at the betting table and losing any and all leverage you had on the holders of the assets you wish to attain. Hell, just look at what happened to DePaul when they tried to bring in a new head coach after the AD went on the radio and told everyone that was listening that the Blue Demons were looking to make one of a few certain candidates the highest paid coach in the Big East.