We develop a model for the pp → π + d reaction based on the pp → ∆(1232)N transition followed by ∆(1232) → πN decay and posterior fusion of N N to give the deuteron. We show that the triangle diagram depicting this process develops a triangle singularity leading to a large cross section of this reaction compared to ordinary fusion reactions. The results of the calculation also show that the process is largely dominated by the pp system in L = 2, S = 0, which transfers J = 2 to the final π + d system. This feature is shown to be well suited to provide L = 2, S = 1, J tot = 3 for np in the np(I = 0) → π − pp followed by pp → π + d reaction, which has been proposed recently, as a means of describing the so far assumed dibaryon d * (2380) peak.