Pistons Guard Cade Cunningham Named as Possible Breakout Star

Could the Pistons guard take another leap in 2025?

Apr 14, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) warms up for a game against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports / Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

Throughout their rebuild, the Detroit Pistons have only walked away with the No. 1 pick on one occasions. That came in 2021, when they selected Cade Cunningham following a strong freshman season at Oklahoma State.

Cunningham quickly emerged as a promising young talent in the league, finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2022. However, things ended up taking an unfortunate turn for him in year two. Just 12 games into the 2023 season, he was forced to be shut down after sustaining a season-ending injury.

Last year, Cunningham bounced back from his injury-ridden season in a big way. Along with appearing in 62 games for the Pistons, he posted averages of 22.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 7.5 APG.

Before the 2025 season gets underway, the people at Bleacher Report put together a list of young players who could emerge as stars in the near future. Among those brought up was the Pistons lead guard.

That version of Cunningham—the massive floor general who scores efficiently from two of three levels and navigates set defenses in his sleep—is All-NBA material. This brand of basketball just needs to persist over a longer period.

Heading into year four, Cunningham has the pieces around him to potentially take another step forward this upcoming season. Trajan Langdon made multiple upgrades to the roster this offseason, mainly in the form of three-point shooting. Having floor spacers like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley on the floor should allow Cunningham to further expand his game as a playmaker and scorer.

If the Pistons are going to make strides towards being a contending team, they need someone from the core to grow into a star. Based on how things currently stand, Cunningham has the best chance of reaching that level.