The trade deadline is still months away, but Kyrie Irving is already back in the conversation. And if he does become available, the Detroit Pistons would have a case to make.
Detroit can offer something Dallas can’t right now: a real shot at a championship. That matters, at least in theory, for a player like Irving. The question is whether it matters enough to pull him out of Texas.
That uncertainty was part of the latest read from Tim MacMahon on the “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective” podcast. MacMahon didn’t sound convinced Irving is headed anywhere.
"You know, going into the season, I would have said more likely than not, [Irving] gets moved by the deadline, but I didn't feel super strong about it. The more I see the team, the more I'm around the team, the more I think it's going to be awfully hard to trade him."
Dallas’ 4-2 start is a big reason the conversation has shifted. The Mavericks have opened the year well enough to make keeping Irving feel more realistic, even if that doesn’t guarantee the good vibes last once the season stretches out.
There’s also the bigger question hanging over the situation: if the Mavericks slide in the standings, does Irving still want to stay? And would Dallas want to carry him through the season with his $42.4 million player option for 2027-28 still in the picture?
Detroit, meanwhile, has put itself in a strong early position. The Pistons are 5-1 heading into the third week of the NBA season, second in the East behind the 6-1 Sixers. Three of those five wins came against Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.
That’s not a mirage. Detroit finished with the best record in the East last season, and the start to this season suggests it belongs near the top again.
What the Pistons still need to answer is the playoff question. Can they make a deep run? Can they actually win it all?
Irving would change that conversation. His ability to create shots and make plays would give Detroit another offensive weapon and ease some of the burden on Cade Cunningham. The obvious concern is age and health: Irving is 34 and missed all of last season with a torn ACL.
So far, though, he’s looked like himself. Irving is averaging 21.4 points and 4.8 assists while shooting 52.7 percent from the field and 39 percent from three in 28.6 minutes per game. For Dallas, that’s about as much as it could have hoped for.
That production may also be part of why the Mavericks decide to keep him. He fits next to Cooper Flagg, who remains their priority, and their two-timeline approach could continue.
But plenty can still change before February. If Dallas gives Irving a say in what comes next, he could decide he wants another title chase.
If that happens, Detroit should be ready.
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 🡒]
Pistons Hot Start Has Fans Eyeing One Massive Backcourt Swing
Detroits 5-1 start has put the Pistons in an unfamiliar spot this early in the season, with the kind of momentum that naturally sends fans and front offices alike looking for the next move. One name now floating into the conversation is Kyrie Irving, with NBA insider Chris Mannix reporting that Detroit has interest in the veteran guard as the Mavericks weigh whether to move him for the right return.
Irving has been part of Dallas recent success since returning from an ACL injury, which only adds to the intrigue around any possible deal. For the Pistons, the appeal is obvious: a hot start can sharpen the focus on upgrading the backcourt, but a pursuit of a player with Irvings profile would also come with a steep price and plenty of moving parts still to sort through. [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 🡒]