The Detroit Pistons are interested in trading for Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving. Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reported that there’s a “strong possibility” that Irving will be traded in the coming weeks and the Pistons are “interested” in becoming a landing spot for Irving. Earlier, team president and coach Stan Van Gundy told the team website that the Pistons have had some level of conversation with the Cavs.
When he asked for a trade from the Cavaliers, Irving mentioned the San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves as his preferred trade destinations.
According to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, the Cavaliers want a win-now veteran starter, a blue-chip young player and a first-round pick for Irving. Currently, the Pistons have the capacity to create a package that the Cavaliers want. They can throw in veterans Reggie Jackson and Avery Bradley and one of their young talents -- Stanley Johnson, Henry Ellenson and Luke Kennard. The Pistons could throw in center Andre Drummond, whose play dipped last season after signing a five-year, $127 million deal after the 2015-16 season. Drummond and Jackson have been the subjects of past trade rumors.
With the Pistons, Irving can get his other wish to become the No. 1 option in a team’s offense. Last season, Tobias Harris led the team in scoring with an average of 16.2 points per game while Ish Smith was their top playmaker with 5.2 dimes per outing.
Pistons need Irving as main attraction for new arena
The Pistons can use a crowd drawer like Irving for their new arena – Little Caesars Arena -- in downtown Detroit. The NBA recently approved the Pistons’ relocation from The Palace of Auburn Hills to Little Ceasars Arena, where they will play starting next season. The Pistons had never actually played in Detroit since 1978 when they called Cobo Arena home back then.
After that, the Pistons played at Pontiac Silverdome for 10 years before relocating in 1988 to The Palace of Auburn Hills where they've won all three of their NBA titles.
Jason Maxiell to retire as a Piston
Detroit is expected to sign Jason Maxiell to a contract that will allow him to retire as a Piston. Maxiell played 10 years in the NBA, eight of which with the Pistons.
Maxiell said in a statement that his best years in the NBA happened in Detroit and “it’s important to me to retire as a Piston”. An undersized power forward standing at 6-foot-7, Maxiell was the 26th overall pick by the Pistons in the 2004-05 draft. He played 523 games with the Pistons, averaging 6.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. In the 2013-14 season, he moved to the Orlando Magic and to the Charlotte Hornets in 2014-15.
