Report: 1 new contender is eyeing Kyrie Irving

An unlikely return to the Central Division may be beckoning for Kyrie Irving.

The Detroit Pistons could potentially go after the Dallas Mavericks star Irving, Vincent Goodwill of ESPN reported on Friday. Goodwill notes that several Pistons staffers are fond of Irving’s game, shot creation, and history of flexibility with playing next to ball-dominant stars like LeBron James and Luka Doncic.

Irving, the nine-time NBA All-Star, is now 34 years old. He will be making his return for the Mavericks this season after missing the entire 2025-26 campaign due to a torn ACL.

Meanwhile, Irving, who also recently revealed that he had a notable setback during his rehab, is signed for $39.5 million next season. After that, he can test free agency by declining his $42.4 million player option for 2027-28.

As for the Pistons, they won an impressive 60 games last season to earn the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference but lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Beyond 25-year-old point guard star Cade Cunningham, Detroit still lacks a reliable 20-ppg perimeter scorer to take them to the next level.

Irving, who is currently on a rebuilding Mavs team, was recently linked to two other playoff teams in trade rumors. But the young Pistons just might be the most intriguing possibility yet for Irving, either through the trade route this year or through the free agency route next summer.