Pistons Lottery Pick Candid About Possible Contract Extension

“If I got in a car crash and I wasn’t able to play anymore, you know what I mean? Those types of things don’t happen,” Cunningham says, knocking on the wood. “So I’m just taking it one day at a time and staying in the moment. When that gets here, it’ll get here. Lord willing, it does.”

Cunningham’s refusal to get too high or too low is a mental trick that many NBA greats have utilized throughout their career. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, who have six NBA championships and Finals MVPs between them, are notorious for their even-keeled demeanor.

Frankly, after posting the worst record in franchise history, it makes sense for a Pistons player to adopt that attitude. Yet, Cunningham’s maturity has been on display for years. His answer to whether he’s thought about his contract extension is just more of the same.

However, it also shows his determination to get the Pistons back to their winning ways. With 42 playoff appearances and three NBA championships, Detroit has one of the better franchises. NBA fans wouldn’t know it based on the last 15 years. Since the 2009 NBA Playoffs, the Pistons have only reached the postseason twice. They’ve won 30 or fewer games in 10 of those seasons.

To that point, the burden of returning the Pistons to their former glory largely lies with the front office. Most players can’t single-handedly turn a franchise around after 15 years of mediocrity. For that reason, Detroit hiring a new president of basketball operations makes plenty of sense.

Nonetheless, as the present face of the franchise, Cunningham shares the front office’s responsibility. Speaking about his mindset as he heads into the offseason, Cunningham says:

“For me, just focusing on next season and how I could help improve the team, how I could improve my game, how I could bring more to the table, is everything for me.”

To that end, Cunningham needs to become a better 3-point shooter, craftier finisher, and more assertive on-ball defender.

Despite shooting a career-high 35.5 percent from 3 in 2023-24, it was still below average. He made just 55.6 percent of his shots in the restricted area and 41.9 percent of his shots in the paint outside of the restricted area. For a 6-foot-6 primary option, these numbers are also substandard.

Building Around Cade Cunningham

Cunningham has the potential to be one of the best Pistons players ever. If he can bring about a basketball renaissance in Detroit, he could truly go down in history. The Pistons just need to build the proper team around him, surrounding him with 3-and-D players. A big playmaker like James or Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Cunningham needs to be able to get downhill with as few obstacles in his way as possible.

The sooner the Pistons realize that, the better.