Locked On Pistons: Can Detroit Pistons be involved in Kyrie sweepstakes?

In today’s Locked On Pistons, we analyze ESPN Insider’s fake trade analysis of a swap that could send Kyrie Irving to the Detroit Pistons.

Late last week ESPN released a list of five possible destinations for Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Among these five destinations were the Detroit Pistons. The deal sent Reggie Jackson to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Andre Drummond, Stanley Johnson and next year’s first round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers, and had Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson coming back to Detroit.

I wrote extensively about the pitfalls of this deal (primarily for the Cleveland Cavaliers, this deal would be a big win for the Pistons) last weekend, focusing primarily on the fact that the Cavs’ luxury tax situation would mean that the additional $3.3 million in salary they would add almost $16 million in tax penalties.

Considering the fact that the trade would also make the Cleveland Cavaliers worse, paying an additional $20 million to get worse is a prohibitive scenario just to make Kyrie Irving happy by shipping him anywhere else.

Next: Ish Smith's season outlook for the Pistons

I went into further depth this morning on Locked On Pistons, discussing Stan Van Gundy’s history with the Pistons in scenarios where other teams are trying to make a deal work. Van Gundy has capitalized multiple times, both bringing Marcus Morris and Reggie Bullock aboard in exchange for a future draft pick when the Phoenix Suns were trying to cut salary, and this summer trading Morris to the Boston Celtics for Avery Bradley.

The Pistons aren’t getting Kyrie Irving, but they might play a part in making a deal happen.