The Cleveland Cavaliers don’t appear to be in a hurry when dealing with Kyrie Irving‘s trade request. After all, reports have indicated that as many as 20 teams have expressed interest in acquiring the All-Star guard and given the dynamics in play with LeBron James and the (potentially faint) possibility that the two sides could find middle ground, the Cavs have every right to be picky.
With that said, yet another team is reportedly in the mix for a pursuit of Irving, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press brings word from Stan Van Gundy and the Detroit Pistons:
A person with knowledge of the Pistons’ front office told the Free Press recently that the organization is interested in the four-time NBA All-Star, who nailed the winning shot to clinch the 2016 NBA title for the Cavs.
Team president and coach Stan Van Gundy isn’t even trying to hide Pistons interest, telling the team website earlier this week “the Pistons have had some level of conversation with the Cavs.
Van Gundy did not mention Irving by name in discussing things with the team’s official website, but in the same breath, the message was quite clear. It should be noted that, well, there really isn’t an obvious trade offer that the Pistons could make, which is a significant roadblock.
Their 23-year-old center Andre Drummond is likely the team’s most established player, but his progress has leveled off, and he wouldn’t be an apparent fit in Cleveland. Elsewhere, Detroit has some solid players but nothing that would seemingly entice the Cavs in the midst of a “win now” pursuit with James on the roster.
That wouldn’t stop Van Gundy and the front office from calling, and the report does reference a three-team deal that has been floated around in media circles. It would take a great deal of squinting to find a credible offer that would entice the Cavs, but any time a head coach and front office personnel virtually admit to interest in a player, it is newsworthy on both sides.
