This wild Kyrie Irving trade idea gives Pistons a star and leaves Mavericks empty-handed

ESPN’s Zach Kram proposed a wild Kyrie Irving trade on Tuesday that would send the star to the Detroit Pistons and Bobby Marks called it a no-brainer for Detroit. Mavericks fans aren’t going to like the return.

Under the framework, the Pistons would send Isaiah Stewart, Caris LeVert, Ron Holland, and the No. 21 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft to Dallas in exchange for Irving. 

Marks called the deal a simple choice for Detroit, explaining, "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."

However, for the Mavericks, it's a much harder sell because Irving signed a three-year, $119 million extension last summer that includes a player option for 2027-28. Right now, he has two years and $81.9 million left on his contract, plus a player option for the 2027-28 season. 

However, he has not played since tearing his left ACL in March 2025, completely missing the following season. And that's the crux of the argument for moving him, as he couldn't help rookie Cooper Flagg at all. Without Luka Doncic, they finished 26-56 with a weak roster and almost no draft picks.

In this scenario, trading Irving is the only option that would finally bring back useful assets. On the other hand, critics argue that Detroit's offer of Stewart, LeVert and Holland is not enough for a nine-time All-Star, even one coming off a major knee injury.

Mavericks president Masai Ujiri hasn't closed the door on keeping Irving and actually pushed back on the idea of moving him prematurely. "Kevin Durant once told me, 'There is only one Kyrie walking around in the world,'" Ujiri said via The Athletic.

He added, "I think we have to figure out how Kyrie fits with our program. I have had those conversations with Kyrie. I think Kyrie will fit."

But a handful of people still want Flagg to play alongside Irving, as Dallas has not yet seen this duo play together. The 19-year-old just just 29.5% from three-point range during his rookie campaign and needs elite creators around him.

Trading the NBA champion before giving this partnership a chance, especially for a package centered around Stewart and a low draft pick, is a move the front office might regret for a long time.

In this wild trade, Detroit will be a clean winner, while for Dallas, it amounts to a salary dump rather than a strategic roster upgrade.

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