The Pistons know the time has arrived to build a championship contender around Cade Cunningham and adding another elite scoring guard could be the next step. In a recent trade proposal by ESPN, Detroit would land Kyrie Irving from the Mavericks in exchange for some younger talent, most notably Ron Holland II and Isaiah Stewart:
The price for Kyrie Irving could be steep
The Pistons do need another bona fide scorer, especially one with the ball-handling of Irving, to take pressure off Cade. But this is still a high price to pay for a 34-year-old guard coming off an ACL tear. Even though Holland didn't play a big role in the playoffs, he's still considered a key piece of the Pistons' future until proven otherwise.
The Pistons won't give up on Holland so early, when he's only 20 years old, unless they are sure about the benefits in a trade return. Irving is a proven scorer and shooter, but the Pistons would need some assurance about his health before offering such a big trade package. When at full health, Irving has been good for 25 points per game for practically a decade.
Making this trade and giving up significant depth, as well as defensive talent, could hamper the Pistons in the regular season. Both Holland and Stewart were defensive sparkplugs off the bench and helped the Pistons win 60 games this season. LeVert also played an important role as a backup ball-handler and tough shot-maker with capable defense.
But those players all had a diminished impact in the playoffs, when opponents were able to plan around their clear weaknesses. On the other hand, Irving maintains his production in the playoffs because he has such a deep bag of counters and resilient shooting. Making this trade would be a clear trade-off for the Pistons of defense in favor of more offense and regular season success in favor of more postseason versatility.
The Pistons will need to think twice before making this trade
On paper, Kyrie is the perfect sidekick for Cade. He already played a similar role next to Luka Doncic on the Mavericks and went all the way to the Finals in 2024. Kyrie's ability to score either on or off the ball work very well with big playmakers and he can provide a good release valve to help reduce turnovers too.
But the amount of young talent, combined with a first-round pick in a deep draft, in this trade would give the Pistons heed. If they can get Kyrie Irving for one less asset, either retaining Holland or the pick, it would be a no-brainer. Perhaps with some good negotiation, they could get there and bring in Cade's backcourt running mate.
Add us as a preferred source on Google