NBA Star’s New Max Extension Receives Questionable Grade

The Detroit Pistons' decision to max out Cade Cunningham doesn't get an ideal grade.

Feb 13, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Christian Wood (35) blocks a shot by Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Pistons were hardly hesitant to max out Cade Cunningham, offering him a significant multi-year deal during the 2024 offseason.

The extension was a long time coming and didn’t shock anybody paying attention to the rebuilding Pistons since they brought on the former Oklahoma State guard.

Locking up Cunningham long-term was an expected move—but was it the right one?

Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus recently graded the Pistons’ decision to offer Cunningham a max extension, and a grade of a C-minus isn’t exactly what a rebuilding club wants to hear when they confirm a player is the face of the franchise.

“It's not that Cunningham isn't as good as the other three maxed-out players, but the Pistons may not be good enough to lock in one cornerstone piece,” Pincus writes. “Is there a tangible danger that one of the few teams with cap space in 2025 would issue a max offer sheet to Cunningham? Just a minor one, and Detroit would still have had the right of first refusal. The Pistons are absorbing all the risk after a 14-win season.”

With the Pistons consistently stuck near the bottom of the Eastern Conference every year for the past five seasons, Cunningham’s progress was the only factor that generated excitement surrounding the team.

Coming off of a sophomore year that featured just 12 games of action due to an injury, Cunningham posted a career-high 23 points per game in 62 outings. He improved his shooting in all areas, posting 45 percent from the field, 36 percent from three, and 87 percent from the charity stripe.

Cunningham also dished out assists at a career-high rate, averaging eight per game. There wasn’t much team success for Detroit, but Cunningham’s season was hard to overlook.

Even players in the NBA’s elite class would need a helpful supporting cast to find any team success in the league. Cunningham surely hasn’t had an all-around competitive group around him yet. The questions about whether Cunningham can have a real positive impact on winning are valid, but that doesn’t mean the Pistons made the wrong decision.

The grade is questionable—but Cunningham can prove any of his doubters wrong as early as next season as he enters the 2024-2025 NBA season with an improved cast and a new head coach.