The possibility of acquiring a young superstar like Kyrie Irving had to be enticing for Detroit Pistons fans.
And the Pistons, by many accounts, were among a handful of teams interested in the 6-3 point guard who helped the Cleveland Cavaliers reach the past three NBA finals as LeBron James' sidekick but wanted out.
But Irving to Detroit wasn't a realistic possibility. The Pistons didn't have the assets.
The speculation and trade scenarios ended Tuesday, when the Cavaliers dealt Irving to the Boston Celtics for All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas, two-way small forward Jae Crowder, 6-11 rookie Ante Zizic and the Brooklyn Nets' first-round pick in 2018.