The Dallas Mavericks have a long way to go to get back into postseason relevance, and even with Cooper Flagg to tear up the league soon, the Mavs look like they will make moves under new team president Masai Ujiri this offseason.
One of those suitors could be the Detroit Pistons, as they finished the regular season as the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed. The Pistons, led by Cade Cunningham, would love to welcome another star. The ESPN insiders believe Kyrie Irving could be the guy to go in such a trade with the Detroit Pistons.
The Mavericks could add some more draft capital to their savings, as they won't have full control of their own first-round pick until 2031. This could be the year to get three first-round draft picks, as it looks like the best freshman draft class we've ever seen. The trade helps Detroit a lot, but how much will it really help Dallas?
ESPN mock trade has Irving to Detroit, a haul of bench pieces and draft capital to Dallas
ESPN already had a mock trade between the Lakers and Mavericks, but fans should hope this Pistons mock trade doesn't happen.
The Pistons get their unofficial 'big three' in Irving, Cunningham and Jalen Duren, who was one of the breakout players this season.
The Mavericks get a clear enforcer in Isaiah Stewart. He's one of those guys who you love if he's on your team, and hate if he's not. Caris LeVert has significantly dropped in production, and Ron Holland is a young small forward who hasn't proven himself in the NBA yet. Could a change of scenery be all he needs to break through?
Grading the trade for the Detroit Pistons
We always hear about that team being one guy away from making a true difference. Irving to the Pistons would be an instant green light that Detroit fans should love, and it may be what sets them apart from the rest of the East.
Of course, there's still Irving's ACL injury to consider, and he's not getting younger now at 34. For the Pistons, they honestly don't lose much production on the court and gain a significant boost from a seasoned veteran helping the young Pistons get over the playoff hump.
Pistons fans have every reason to be rooting for this. As ESPN's Bobby Marks says, this trade is an obvious yes.
"From the Pistons' perspective, trading for Irving at the cost of the 21st pick and three rotational players is a no-brainer. Even if Irving plays out the season and then declines his option in 2027-28, the trade certainly is worth the risk."
Grading the trade for the Dallas Mavericks
ESPN's Zach Kram isn't that enthusiastic about the trade, and says that recent postseason contributions should have the Mavericks look the other way completely.
"The cost in this deal wouldn't be too exorbitant, as Stewart, LeVert and Holland were all bench players for Detroit who didn't contribute much in the postseason. Holland, in particular, is an intriguing trade option: As a recent No. 5 draft pick, he could be attractive for other teams but probably doesn't fit long term next to Ausar Thompson because of both players' offensive limitations."
Bench players? Is that the master plan that Ujiri wants to draw up? Mavs fans hope this isn't the case. Sure, Irving is 34, but he has yet to play a rep with Flagg. Separating them at this time, when they haven't gotten a chance yet, would be malpractice for the organization.
Pairing up Flagg with a declining veteran in LeVert and a young small forward in Holland, with still so much to prove, is a risk that fans won't like much at all. Stewart would be an immediate fan favorite, but it's not worth losing Irving over. Draft capital isn't bad either, but still not worth it.
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