Pistons Star Cade Cunningham Opens up on Signing Max Extension

Piston guard reacts to signing the largest deal in franchise history this offseason.

Mar 29, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) takes a shot against the Washington Wizards during the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

It was a bit of an underwhelming offseason for the Detroit Pistons after opting to maintain cap flexibility for future deals. However, they did make one key signing that will surely have a lasting impact on the long-term trajectory of the franchise.

Similar to some of his other counterparts from his draft class, Cade Cunningham inked a contract this summer. He signed the largest deal in Pistons history, earning $224 million over the next five years.

During his media day press conference on Monday, Cunningham was asked about securing an extension in the offseason. He stated that his mind was already set on staying in Detroit and that the two sides just needed to work out the proper logtistics.

"I already wanted to stay here. It was just about us agreeing to the same terms," Cunningham told reporters Monday. "It was already a done deal in my head as far as where I wanted to be. I wanted to be here."

Cunningham lands this extension after his best season in the pros. Despite being sidelined for most of the 2023 campaign, he was able to come back better last year. Playing in 62 games, he averaged 22.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 7.5 APG.

Over the past three years, Cunningham has emerged as the top prospect in the Pistons core. If he can continue to improve off of last season, he could enter the mix as a possible All-Star candidate. Seeing that Detroit added numerous complementary pieces this summer, his game should be further maximized in 2025.

Now with the contract situation out of the way, Cunningham and the Pistons to get back to trying to be a competitive squad in the Eastern Conference.