Kyrie Irving returned for the first time in over a year in the NBA China games in preseason, scoring a team-high 17 points for the Dallas Mavericks against the Houston Rockets last Sunday.
It was like he never left, and it showed exactly why the franchise has been reluctant to listen to offers for the veteran star guard over the summer. However, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer, that stance may change in the coming months leading up to the trade deadline.
“However, I still believe that Kyrie Irving is someone that we’re gonna be talking about through the Feb. 11 trade deadline as a trade target for rival teams,” Fischer said during Tuesday’s NBA insider live stream notebook. “He just does not fit the timeline. He is almost a decade and a half older than Cooper Flagg. He himself is going into the end of a very lucrative contract. He’s gonna get paid, all these guys get paid before their current contract expires.
“And if he comes back healthy for a significant sample size that shows every other team around the NBA that he is still capable of being an All-Star talent and a playoff game changer, especially as a half-court ball-handling creator. The Mavs, I believe, are going to get trade offers that ultimately they are not going to be able to refuse.”
Irving just recovered from a lengthy ACL injury, and his value has remained immense. Various teams around the league, including the Detroit Pistons, were speculated to be willing to shun any game sharpness concerns to trade for him this offseason. That chance may eventually arrive.
Detroit Pistons Get Positive Outlook on Kyrie Irving Trade
The Pistons were the best team in the East in the regular season. They won 60 games behind Cade Cunnigham and a core of All-NBA star Jalen Duren and also Ausar Thompson. The two latter stars were signed to new lucrative deals this summer keeping their core intact.
While that is commendable, the Pistons haven’t really given Cunningham a reliable co-star. That responsibility fell to Duren last season and the franchise would very much prefer the center in other roles other than being a secondary option. The postseason was evidence of that as Duren was rather disappointing considering the kind of regular season he had.
Detroit will not want a situation where Cunningham will be doing all the heavy lifting during the business part of the season. This has been the basis of the franchise being speculated to be linked with at least one notable blockbuster. Irving has been one of those names.
“Things do change very, very quickly in this NBA, and Feb. 3 is not a quick day approaching. There’s a long time, there is some 50 games between now and then…,” Fischer added. “I think Dallas is going to get continued trade or Kyrie to the point where the Mavericks are going to have to consider moving him.”
Irving’s contract runs out after the 2027-28 season with a roughly $42.4 million player option. His salary for the upcoming season is around $39.4 million which makes him a very significant asset.
The Pistons can arrange a trade and clear space to accommodate the veteran guard. They have already moved some significant pieces from last season like Tobias Harris who walked in free agency. Although, Duren and Thompson’s new deal will inflate the cap space, there are still moves the franchise can make to enable an Irving trade.
What Irving’s Situation Could Look Like
Irving, 34, remains a premier scoring guard and one of the elite playmaking options around the league. He will make so much difference alongside a much younger Cunningham. An extra scoring and creation presence may have pushed the Pistons above the playoff second round they ended last season.
Time will tell on how the Mavs proceed with Irving. Despite their hard stance, they may not turn a blind eye to the fact that flexibility will be important in building around Flagg. If at any point between now and early 2027 it becomes clear that they won’t be in any serious push, Irving will likely be dealt.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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