Cade Cunningham is already the present for the Detroit Pistons, now the franchise has assured he's the future as well.
On Tuesday, Cunningham and the Pistons agreed to a five-year, $224 million max rookie contract extension, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal could be worth as much as $269 million.
Detroit made Cunningham the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and have built the franchise around him. Despite his team having a historically awful 2023-24 season, Cunningham averaged career-highs in points (22.7), assists (7.5) and minutes (33.5) per game. He added 4.3 rebounds per contest, and shot career-best marks from the field (44.9%), three-point range (35.5%) and the free throw line (86.9%).
The Pistons finished an NBA-worst 14-68, the second year in a row they had the league's worst record. At one point during the 2023-24 campaign they lost 28 straight games, tying an NBA record. Despite all of that, there is hope for the future, mostly centered around Cunningham.
The 22-year-old is surrounded by a litany of talent. Guard Jaden Ivey, center Jalen Duren, forward Ausar Thompson and the recently-drafted Ron Holland represent a really nice young core. Detroit also brought back Tobias Harris in free agency to help bring the younger players along.
Cunningham has the unenviable task of shouldering the future hopes of a franchise. The Pistons are counting on him to be their superstar of the future. It's a daunting task despite the talent around him. At least he'll be getting paid handsomely while he navigates those waters.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cade Cunningham, Pistons Agree to $224 Million Extension, per Report.
