The Detroit Pistons are off to a hot start. At 5-1, they are sitting at the top of the Eastern Conference. But the consensus is that they are still one piece away. The offensive problems that plagued them in the playoffs last season are still there. Despite a shooting improvement, the Pistons aren't a radically different team than they were last season.
That is why many assumed that the Pistons would be active at the trade deadline. The fanbase's favorite trade target at the deadline has been Kyrie Irving for some time. As excellent a fit as he would be next to Cade Cunningham, the odds of him being available at the trade deadline are diminishing by the day.
Pistons' dream trade target may no longer be available at the deadline
The reason why is the Dallas Mavericks' excellent start to the season. The Mavs have won three straight and are 4-2 for the season. Most importantly, Cooper Flagg looks like the real deal. He has been one of the best players in the league so far, which significantly increases the Mavericks' floor and ceiling for the season.
Add the fact that Irving is looking like his pre-injury self, and you probably have a playoff team in Dallas.
Kyrie is averaging 21.4 points and 4.8 assists in 28.6 minutes per game on whopping 52.7/39.0/100.0 shooting splits. He just had his best game of the season on Friday against the Rockets, going off for 35 points and nine assists on 12/19 shooting from the field. The 34-year-old point guard clearly hasn't skipped a beat after his ACL tear.
Barring injuries, the Mavs will continue to be competitive in the Western Conference. Why would they trade Irving at the deadline if they have a chance to make the playoffs in Flagg's second season in the league?
The reasons why many assumed Irving would be on the trade block may no longer be there. Dallas presumably wouldn't want to take a step back and send the wrong message to Flagg, their franchise cornerstone, by trading away Irving. Instead, they would probably want to re-sign Irving once he becomes a free agent next summer.
There will be other trade candidates emerging at the deadline. While it's unlikely that they will be exactly what the Pistons are looking for, like Irving is, Detroit can still find an upgrade that boosts its title chances. Until further notice, however, Pistons fans can forget about seeing Irving in Detroit.
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