Detroit Pistons Officially Announce Major Move With Star Player

Cade Cunningham has officially signed an extension with the Detroit Pistons.

Mar 5, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) defends Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) during the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports | Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Pistons have made some big changes this offseason, but the fact that they are totally invested in the former No. 1 pick, Cade Cunningham, remains the same.

Therefore, the Pistons are continuing to invest everything into the star guard.

On Wednesday, the organization announced they signed Cunningham to an extension. While the press release didn’t reveal the terms of the contract, Cunningham has reportedly earned the league’s latest max extension.

Since declaring for the NBA Draft in 2021 after a season at Oklahoma State, Cunningham was viewed as his draft class’s top prospect. With the first-overall pick in the draft that year, the Pistons didn’t hesitate to take Cunningham.

In his first year with the organization, Cunningham was named NBA All-Rookie First Team. He appeared in 64 games, averaging 17 points, six rebounds, and six assists in 33 minutes of action. He drained 42 percent of his shots from the field, knocking down 31 percent from deep.

Year two for Cunningham could be viewed as a sophomore slump, but not due to his performance. As he dealt with an injury, Cunningham appeared in just 12 games for the Pistons in 2022-2023. Before going out with an injury, he averaged 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists.

Last year, the Pistons viewed Cunningham’s season as his true sophomore effort. Fortunately, the young guard continued to put stellar play on display, convincing them to make a major investment in the veteran.

In 62 games, Cunningham averaged 23 points, four rebounds, and eight assists. He drained a career-high 45 percent from the field and knocked down threes at a 36 percent clip.

As a team, the Pistons haven’t had much to celebrate as they’ve failed to exceed 20 wins in each of the last two seasons and haven’t made the playoffs since the Cunningham era started.

Despite the overall shortcomings, Detroit continues to believe Cunningham is the right guy to steer the ship as they look to turn things around. The revamped front office has worked hard to bring in veteran shooters to surround Cunningham for the 2024-2025 NBA season. Knowing he’s in Detroit for the long-haul, Cunningham is focused on doing all he can to make good on the Pistons’ investment.