The Detroit Pistons could use another ball handler and an injection of 3-point shooting, so if you had to choose the perfect fit at the trade deadline, it might be Kyrie Irving.
That case was made by Tim Bontemps from ESPN, who thinks the Pistons should seize the opportunity in front of them and that Irving would be the perfect guy to help push them into title contention.
On paper, it totally makes sense, as Kyrie is not only gifted ball handler who would take a ton of pressure off Cade Cunningham, but he is a certified bucker getter, a great 3-point shooter and a guy who has ample experience coming through in big games.
He has thrived next to big creators in the past with LeBron and Luka and has been a winner for most of his career.
He’s been to four Finals and hit the biggest shot in 2016 to help the Cavaliers win the title, so he is no stranger to the big stage.
He has a short-term contract that only runs two years after this one with the final year being a player option, and he’s on a team that might be jettisoning some of its veterans to kickstart a rebuild around Cooper Flagg.
All of these things add up to the perfect piece for the Detroit Pistons, but there are still huge challenges that will likely prevent it from happening.
Kyrie Irving is still hurt
Recent reports suggest that Irving could be back by the middle of February after tearing his ACL, but he’s not playing now and there is still no official timetable for his return.
He won’t be back before the trade deadline, which means the Pistons would be flying blind and banking on him not only returning this season, but at a level that could help them compete for a title, which would be a huge risk.
If he had a setback or never got back to 100 percent this season, the Pistons would potentially be giving up much needed depth and assets for a guy who might not even play.
If they are going to make a bet on an injured player getting back to form, you could argue Jaden Ivey would be the safer bet, as he’s already playing and isn’t owed a ton of money like Irving.
It’s hard to imagine Trajan Langdon exposing his team like that.
The Pistons can’t trade Tobias Harris for a guard
The easiest way to make the money work would be to send Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey and picks to the Mavs, but that also presents challenges.
As I’ve been saying all season, the Pistons cannot just trade Harris without getting a power forward back, as that would leave them thin at the position and undersized in certain matchups.
While Harris doesn’t provide near the offense that Irving does, he’s solid and gives them more favorable matchups, especially on defense where he can at least hold his own against bigger players.
Everyone is so eager to put Harris in these trades for salary matching purposes but ignores the roster hole it would create.
As ideal as Irving might be, it’s not going to happen this season, but he is definitely a guy to watch in the offseason, especially if the Pistons come up short in the playoffs and decide they need a legit second option.