Pistons Reportedly Interested in Kyrie Irving While Cooper Flagg's Mavs Confession Resurfaces

Kyrie Irving returned from his ACL injury with a team-high 17 points in the NBA China Games on October 11, and Dallas hasn't looked back. Now SI's Chris Mannix says Detroit will be "salivating" over him at the trade deadline as the Mavericks build around Cooper Flagg. Flagg, for his part, has said Dallas was never a thought.

"I think Detroit is another team that will be salivating over getting Kyrie Irving… The Mavericks have a chance to get some real assets back in return for a player that's been good for them," Mannix said.

Mannix said Irving will be the most in-demand player at the Feb. 11 trade deadline and named the Pistons as a team he expects to pursue the Mavericks guard. He explained that Irving "is not on the Mavericks' timeline."

The Pistons’ interest isn’t new. Marc Stein reported in June that Detroit and the Minnesota Timberwolves had interest in Irving, and by late July, Stein reported the Mavericks were still rebuffing trade feelers. Insider Jake Fischer has also said the whole league will view Irving as a potential trade candidate “until the trade deadline comes and goes.”

Irving is 34 and making $39.5 million in the final year of his contract before a $42.4 million player option for 2027-28. The Pistons, 5-1 this season after going 60-22 last year, control all of their own first-round picks through 2032 and have several young players with trade value, which is why Detroit is considered well positioned if Dallas makes him available.

Irving's play has complicated that decision. The nine-time All-Star has looked as good as ever, boosting his trade value while the Mavericks are winning.

Mannix said he watched Dallas' 113-109 win in Miami and noted that five years from now the team will be looking for the next Irving to play opposite Flagg.

If Dallas keeps winning, it has to choose between riding out the season and cashing in for a larger long-term return. That long-term plan is built around Flagg, and his own words about arriving in Dallas explain how unexpected it was.

Cooper Flagg Admits Dallas Was Never on His Radar Before the Mavericks Won the Lottery

"Dallas was never a thought, I never thought about coming to Dallas ... never even thought about them getting the pick," Flagg said on The Old Man and the Three. He appeared on the podcast with teammates Max Christie and Ryan Nembhard.

The comments aren't new, as they come from his rookie-season appearance in the spring and are being revisited alongside the Irving rumors.

The draft lottery odds explain his surprise. Dallas had a 1.8% chance of winning the lottery after finishing 10th in the Western Conference the season before. On lottery night in May 2025, it came down to San Antonio and Dallas, and Flagg said he had to contain his excitement. “I was like, ‘This is amazing,’” he said.

The Mavericks had just traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers, so Flagg arrived as the face of a new era.

His rookie season showed why Dallas is willing to look forward. He set the NBA record for points by a teenager with 49 in January, then broke it with 51 against Orlando in April, and said he wants to play his entire career in Dallas. He won Rookie of the Year, ahead of former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel.

Detroit may be eager, and Kyrie Irving is playing well enough to attract interest from contenders. No trade has been reported, and the Mavericks have until the February 11 deadline to decide how they want to balance Irving's present value against building around Flagg.