I can't rule it out as a possibility. Since we'll never know what these GM's say to themeslves, out-loud, about other GMs, it kinda feels like a somewhat meaningless exercise when attempting to prove if a transaction was good or not. Of course, if you have a verified audio recording of what Onsi Saleh is saying about Portland in his kitchen tonight, while eating milk and cookies, please share it; I would find it entertaining if not interesting.
Personally, I'd hope there would be public metrics, video clips, etc. that might be better used to determine if we think pick #16 if going to be better than pick #17.