A proposed three-team deal would send Kyrie Irving to Detroit, but the real tension in this idea starts with Dallas. Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes laid out a trade framework involving the Pistons, Mavericks, and Hawks, and the headline is simple enough: Detroit gets two major backcourt additions, Atlanta loads up on draft capital, and Dallas is asked to part with Irving without getting a single outright first-round pick in return.
Here’s how the proposal breaks down:
Detroit Pistons receive: Kyrie Irving, Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Dallas Mavericks receive: Ron Holland II, Kevin Huerter, Jock Landale, Isaiah Joe, 2029 Detroit Pistons first-round pick swap, 2031 Detroit Pistons first-round pick swap
Atlanta Hawks receive: John Collins, Duncan Robinson, 2028 Detroit Pistons first-round pick, 2030 Detroit Pistons first-round pick, 2032 Detroit Pistons first-round pick
For Detroit, the fit is easy to see. Irving would take pressure off Cade Cunningham, and Alexander-Walker would bring shooting and perimeter defense without needing the offense to run through him. The idea is that Cunningham wouldn’t have to carry every tough possession if another elite ball-handler was sharing the floor with him.
Irving’s numbers help explain why Detroit would be tempted. He is averaging 21.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists while shooting 52.7% from the field and 39.0% from three-point range.
He is in the second season of his three-year, approximately $118 million contract, earning $39.4 million this season with a $42.4 million player option next season. That option adds uncertainty, especially with his age and recent ACL recovery.
Alexander-Walker has been productive as well, averaging 21.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 43.8% overall and 40.3% from three. His four-year, $60.6 million contract is also team-friendly in this context, with $14.4 million this season, $15.1 million next season, and a $15.9 million player option for 2028-29.
Detroit would have to give up real future flexibility to make it happen, but the upside is obvious. A closing group of Cunningham, Irving, Alexander-Walker, Ausar Thompson, and Jalen Duren would give the Pistons a mix of creation, defense, and finishing that would look awfully serious in a playoff series.
Dallas is the part of this proposal that doesn’t hold up nearly as well. The Mavericks do get several useful pieces, starting with Holland, who is averaging 6.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting 41.0% from the field and 29.4% from three. He is on a rookie deal worth approximately $9.0 million this season, with an $11.4 million team option next season.
Huerter would add another perimeter option. He is averaging 6.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 39.0% overall and 50.0% from three. His three-year, approximately $27 million contract pays $9.5 million this season, $8.7 million next season, and includes an $8.7 million team option for 2028-29.
Landale brings interior depth, averaging 6.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on 44.7% shooting. His one-year, $14 million deal would function as an expiring salary.
Joe is averaging 7.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.0 assists while shooting 36.8% overall and 23.1% from three. His four-year, $48 million contract pays approximately $11.3 million this season, with an $11.3 million option next season.
Even with that group in hand, the draft return is the sticking point. Dallas would get two swaps, not outright first-round picks, and that’s a major difference.
Swaps only matter if the Mavericks are positioned to benefit from exchanging places, and that’s a thin return for a player like Irving. The source of the idea also notes Tim MacMahon recently highlighted Irving’s chemistry with Flagg and his importance to the locker room, which only makes the proposed package look lighter.
Atlanta, on the other hand, would be getting the best draft haul in the deal. Collins is averaging 8.4 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 42.4% overall and 35.0% from three, and his three-year, $51 million contract carries annual salaries of $17 million. Robinson is producing 17.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 44.6% from the field and 45.2% from three on a three-year, $47.9 million deal that pays approximately $15.9 million this season and $15.1 million next season.
The Hawks would also get three unprotected first-round picks, which gives them plenty of ammunition for another move down the line. Losing Alexander-Walker would sting, but that kind of return would at least force a serious conversation.
Still, this looks like the kind of trade that lives on paper and nowhere else. The Mavericks have already turned away interest in Irving, and this proposal doesn’t give them enough reason to change course.
Detroit’s offer is built around swaps, not premium first-rounders, and Dallas would be giving up scoring and leadership without landing a premium young centerpiece in return. Atlanta gets the cleanest asset package of the three, and that imbalance may be exactly why this deal never gets off the ground.
In Other News...
Kyrie Irving Trade Noise Is Colliding With Dallas Bigger Decision
With the Mavericks off to a strong start, the chatter around Kyrie Irving has only grown louder, but the teams stance has stayed firm. NBA insider Marc Stein reported that Dallas has no intention of moving Irving this season and is not entertaining trade inquiries, even as outside speculation continues to swirl around his future.
Irving is in the final guaranteed year of his contract, which naturally invites questions about what comes next, especially with other teams keeping an eye on the situation. But the Mavericks have been clear that he is not available, and Irving has also expressed a desire to stay in Dallas, leaving the bigger decision to play out without any sign the front office is ready to budge. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Just Got A Harsh Look At Life Without Kyrie
The Mavericks got a blunt reminder of how much their offense leans on Kyrie Irving in a 115-100 loss to Sacramento, a game that turned quickly once Dallas was forced to play without its lead guard. The Kings were still searching for their first win of the season and found it behind rookie Darius Acuff, who put together a lively all-around showing with 25 points, five rebounds and six assists.
Dallas had some resistance from Daniel Gafford and Walter Clayton Jr., who finished with 20 points apiece, but the night became even more difficult when Max Christie was hurt and could not return. With the Mavericks already short-handed, the injury only added to the sense that this was a game they never quite had the pieces to steady, and it leaves another layer to sort through as the schedule keeps moving. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Just Got Another Backcourt Concern They Could Not Afford
The Mavericks backcourt took another hit Monday night when Max Christie exited the game against the Sacramento Kings with a right hip injury and did not return. Christie was on the floor for about eight minutes before leaving, and Dallas had to shuffle its rotation again in response to the injury situation already hanging over the roster.
Christie missed all of his shots in the brief outing, finishing with two rebounds, one steal and one turnover before Walter Clayton Jr. stepped in for him. For a team already trying to piece together guard minutes around other injured players, any added concern in the backcourt is one Dallas could hardly afford. [Read more 🡒]