Former NBA star sends warning about Cade Cunningham's future in Detroit

Through 15 games, the Detroit Pistons have an East leading record of 13-2, have won 11 in a row and look to be one of the most dominant teams in the entire NBA right now.

Cade Cunningham has developed into one of the league’s premier playmakers, averaging 27.3 PPG and 9.9 assists a night. Just a few days ago, the Pistons star signed a massive six-year deal with Nike that will bring him his own signature shoe.

Everything seems to be looking up for Detroit basketball right now, but former NBA All-Star and analyst Gilbert Arenas sent a warning to fans about a Nike conspiracy with Cunningham.

“If you are a Pistons fan you should be worried,” Arenas said. “Nike has its own agenda. And I am pretty sure Cade staying in Detroit isn’t a part of their agenda.”

Gilbert Arenas sends a warning to Pistons fans.

"If you are a Pistons fan you should be worried. Nike has it's own agenda. And I am pretty sure Cade staying in Detroit isn't apart of their agenda."

(Via @GilsArenaShow / h/t @ClutchPoints ) pic.twitter.com/5W3mqMvMos
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 19, 2025

Arenas’ point was that now that Nike has invested all this money and interest into Cunningham, they are going to want to get the most brand exposure out of him. That can typically only be done in big market teams such as New York, LA or Miami, rather than a small market city like Detroit, Charlotte or Milwaukee.

Historically, Nike has been known to steer athletes towards bigger markets when their teams begin to underperform.

“He is their guard and they are gonna want to mass-produce his shoe. So you want Cade to win championships and all that because it offsets everything. But when they start having down years, they are gonna move that product to a bigger place.”

Obviously players gain more fame at bigger markets. Recent moves to big markets like Jalen Brunson, Karl Anthony-Towns and Luka Doncic have boosted their stock for companies.

However in the modern age of basketball, it has become easier than ever to find success with home grown stars. Guys like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and even Victor Wembanyama have all built major brands with teams generally considered small markets.

Obviously, the Pistons have no intentions of letting Cunningham leave anytime soon. He signed a massive five-year, $224 million contract extension in July 2024 to stay with the Pistons for the foreseeable future. So far, it’s been a perfect match with Cunningham and Detroit.

As Cunningham’s brand and reputation continue to grow, so will the pressure to keep his team performing at a high-level. In the NBA, it’s never a surprise to see even the biggest stars opt for a team change. It would heavily benefit the Pistons to continue in their winning ways, and ensure they stay competitive for years to come.