The Pistons may look different moving forward, but their centerpiece remains the same. Detroit is signing Cade Cunningham to a five-year, $226 million max rookie extension, according to multiple reports.
The deal, which can't become official until this Saturday, ties Cunningham to the Pistons through the 2029-30 season. He's entering the final season of his rookie deal, after which the extension will kick in.
It's a clear commitment on the part of Pistons new president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon to the team's best player. Cunningham is coming off a breakout season in which he averaged 22.7 points and 7.5 assists in 62 games and shot 35.5 percent from three, all career bests.
Only five other NBA players -- all of them All-Stars -- averaged at least 20 and 7 last season: Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Tyrese Haliburton and Damian Lillard. If Cunningham makes an All-NBA team next season, which he has yet to do in his career, it will increase the total value of his deal to $270 million.
The Pistons, meanwhile, are coming off the worst season in franchise history. They have failed to support Cunningham since drafting him first overall in 2021, which led to the firing of former GM Troy Weaver. Cunningham hasn't been perfect, less efficient than the aforementioned players and prone to turnovers. He also missed over 100 games in three seasons due to various injuries.
But the 22-year-old is much more a solution for the Pistons than part of the problem. This is Langdon's way of expressing that.
"He and I have had some really good conversations thus far," Langdon said at his introductory press conference last month. "A high-character human being, mature beyond his years, and a big-time basketball player at a young age. We’re hoping to put a group around him that can bolster his growth but not make it as hard for him to do the things that he had to last year."
That means adding shooters who can help space the floor, like veteran Tim Hardaway Jr., acquired by the Pistons last week. Langdon went a different route in the draft, betting on the extreme upside of Ron Holland II with the fifth overall pick, but said the plan this offseason is to "continue to bring in shooting, IQ and experience."
"It could be a completely different roster here in two weeks," said Langdon.
But the most important piece is now locked in place. Even with the arrival of Langdon and new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, this is Cunningham's team moving forward. With a stronger supporting cast, the hope is that he grows into the star of a winning team.
"He is an unselfish player who I do think has a chance to be an impactful player at a high level and be the best player. In terms of a championship level, who knows? I really, really, hope so," Langdon said. "But we’re not going to start talking about championships here. That’s a long ways away. We need to start talking about foundational growth."
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