The Pistons’ 5-1 start has them looking like a team with real momentum, but the early success hasn’t erased the same old roster question: who else can create offense when Cade Cunningham needs help?
That issue was front and center in last year’s playoff loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and it’s exactly why Detroit is being tied to a possible swing for Kyrie Irving. NBA insider Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated said, via Fullcourtpass on X, formerly Twitter, “Detroit is another team that will be salivating over getting Kyrie Irving… The Mavericks have a chance to get some real assets back in return for a player that's been good for them,”
Irving’s name makes sense for a team in Detroit’s position. He has reportedly looked sharp in his return from ACL injury recovery this season with the Mavericks, and he recently helped close out a big home win over the Houston Rockets.
The fit would come with obvious questions, though. A Cunningham-Irving pairing would leave Detroit with a relatively small backcourt, but the upside is easy to see if Dallas’ price is right. Irving would give the Pistons the kind of secondary shot creation they lacked when the postseason got tight.
The source of that concern traces back to last spring, when Detroit might have been out in the first round if the Orlando Magic had not run into injury trouble of their own. Even so, the bigger point remains the same: the Pistons need another reliable creator, and Irving would be a major answer.
For now, Detroit turns to its next game Monday evening on the road against the Charlotte Hornets.
In Other News...
This Refs Pistons Pick Says Everything About That 2004 Team
Rasheed Wallace was never just another bruising big man on that 2004 Pistons team. Even years later, NBA referee Zach Zarba still points to Wallace as the toughest player to officiate, and the reason says plenty about how Detroit played and how Wallace operated inside it. He was smart, physical and always on the edge, the kind of player who could bend a games temperature without ever seeming surprised by the response.
What made Wallace such a problem for officials was not only his edge, but the way he used it. Zarba noted that Wallace would work technical fouls into his own routine as a way to fire himself up and lift the team around him, which fits a Pistons group that won with force and attitude as much as skill. Wallace, a 2004 champion and multiple-time All-Star, still owns the league record for technical fouls in a single season, a reminder of just how far that edge carried him. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Suddenly Face A Real Kyrie Irving Dilemma
Kyrie Irvings strong return from an ACL injury has already put him back in the middle of leaguewide conversation, and not just because of the way he has looked on the floor. Sports Illustrateds Chris Mannix floated the idea that Irving could emerge as a major trade target during the season, with teams such as the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons mentioned as possible suitors if the opportunity ever opened up.
For Detroit, it is the kind of name that naturally gets attention because the Pistons are still looking to accelerate their rise and add proven talent to the mix. The Mavericks, meanwhile, continue to value Irvings leadership and influence, even as the speculation around his availability keeps building without any confirmation from the team that he is actually on the market. [Read more 🡒]