Pistons Executive Applauds Cade Cunningham's Leadership

Trajan Langdon weighs in on Pistons' star guard.

Sep 26, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon during a press conference at the New Orleans Pelicans Media Day from the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

In his first summer leading the Detroit Pistons' front office, Trajan Langdon wasted no time setting the team up for the future. Along with bringing in an array of veterans to provide leadership for the young core, he inked the franchise's cornerstone prospect to a massive extension.

It did not take long for Cade Cunningham to prove he was worth the lucrative deal, as he shined in the 2025 campaign. He had a breakout season for the Pistons, landing himself All-Star and All-NBA nominations. Cunningham posted career highs across the board, finishing with averages of 26.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 9.1 APG.

While most people talked about the strides Cunningham made as a player, Langdon recently opened up on a different key area of growth for the former No. 1 pick.

Apr 29, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) celebrates after scoring in the third quarter against the New York Knicks during game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Roughly a month out from training camp, Langdon sat down with The Athletic for a lengthy interview. As expected, the Pistons star was a primary topic of conversation.

While speaking with insider Hunter Patterson, Langdon praised Cunningham for how well he was able to lead Detroit last season on and off the floor.

"The leadership piece is something Cade talked about last summer, something he wanted to lean into and continue to develop. Being that guy on the team, whether it’s bringing guys together off the floor or being that guy on the floor that drives the team on both ends," Langdon said. "It resonates at the start of the season, and I think throughout the season; you saw our guys continue to follow. He uses his voice well, in terms of holding them accountable and driving them in the right direction when he needs to. He’s also very supportive of them and allows them to be who they are as human beings, but also as basketball players."

I caught up with Pistons president of basketball ops Trajan Langdon for an exclusive.

We discussed Detroit’s core, the challenges of re-crafting Pistons culture, potential offseason extensions, how the team seeks to promote financial literacy and more:https://t.co/UEiXJNvxeB

— Hunter Patterson (@HunterPatterson) August 27, 2025

Cunningham established himself as one of the league's bright young stars last season. Now, the pressure is on him to maintain his recent upward trajectory.

It's clear the Pistons have pegged Cunningham as "the guy" for them moving forward. Based on how he carried himself last year, he appears ready to lead the charge for the franchise for the foreseeable future.

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