Pistons Proposed to Land Kyrie Irving for 3 Players, 1st Round Pick in Major Trade

It has been a whirlwind offseason for the Detroit Pistons. As the Pistons push to work things out with All-Star big man Jalen Duren, they are also tasked with trying to find a replacement for star wingman Tobias Harris, who departed for the San Antonio Spurs in free agency. 

Fortunately, Detroit was able to offset the Harris loss by adding high-flying forward John Collins, who inked a multi-year contract with the franchise earlier this week. But losing Duren would be an enormous blow to a team coming off a 60-win season, one of the best in franchise history, with Duren blossoming into a legitimate star alongside Cade Cunningham. 

Many would argue the Pistons still need to make a major move to better positions themselves as a title contender even if they retain Duren. An intriguing trade target could be Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving. 

The Kyrie Irving-Pistons Trade Proposal 

GettyDALLAS, TX -DECEMBER 25 : Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts late in the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at American Airlines Center on December 25, 2024 in Dallas, Texas.

The “Detroit needs another shot-creator!” buzz may be a little overblown, but even staunch Pistons fans could agree adding such a player would dramatically raise the team’s ceiling. That’s why adding Irving in the backcourt alongside Cunningham could be something the Pistons should consider.

In this hypothetical trade, the Pistons would say goodbye to Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert, Ron Holland II and their 2028 first round pick to acquire Irving from the Mavericks.

Is this surrendering too much for a 34-year-old? Probably. Is it giving up too much for an aging star coming off a major injury? Put it that way, then it absolutely is. But the potential pairing of Cunningham and Irving would be dynamic. 

Unless Irving is never the same player he was before tearing his ACL, there is immense upside in trading for Irving, who would slot wonderfully next to Cunningham, the ascending guard who earned plenty of MVP buzz last season as he led his Pistons to 60 wins. 

How Irving Could Take Detroit Over the Hump

GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – MAY 30: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks celebrates after a 124-103 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game Five of the Western Conference Finals at Target Center on May 30, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The Pistons played two grueling seven-game playoff series last season. It was Cunningham doing a lot of the lifting, and when he wasn’t, Harris stepped up and often saved the day. 

Now, imagine if that was Irving in place of Harris? We are talking about a nine-time All-Star, an NBA champion, the owner of one of the greatest shots in NBA Finals history. 

Would Detroit have advanced — or even gone to a pair of Game 7s — in the playoffs had Cunningham and Irving taken turns as Detroit’s closer down the stretch of games?

The Pistons can simply hark back to what Irving did in Dallas alongside Luka Doncic. Irving and Doncic led the Mavericks to the Finals through a brutal Western Conference. As the second-option, Irving was often masterful in the 2024 playoffs, gelling with Doncic as the pair emerged as one of the most explosive backcourt duos of all time. 

The Pistons would lose some depth in an Irving trade, but landing the 2016 champion, who’s still an all-world offensive talent when healthy, would help take some of the pressure and attention off Cunningham and give the Pistons another proven go-to scorer.

Detroit may not even consider an Irving trade this offseason, but it’ll have to make up for losing Harris one way or another.

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