With so much going on for the Detroit Pistons, there has been little discussion of franchise player Cade Cunningham and his upcoming deal.
Cunningham is expected to earn just under $14 million next season, but there is considerable suspicion that the Pistons will offer him the maximum extension this summer, and he has every incentive to accept it.
Whether the Pistons (or Cunningham) consider each other as long-term partners, signing this agreement makes sense because it will pay Cade more than any other team can and will not reduce his trade value, thus there is little risk for Detroit.
This is why no talented rookie has ever declined a contract extension, and Cade Cunningham is unlikely to be the first.
How that contract ultimately plays out is another story, as there are both best and worst-case scenarios for a pact that will most certainly last five years and cost more than $200 million.
Ideal-case scenario for Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons
The best-case scenario is obvious: Cunningham develops into a superstar who helps turn the organization around and makes many All-Star appearances.
The best-case scenario includes constant winning and postseason appearances, as well as contending in years when chance favors them.
Cade must become a Luka-lite, a player capable of keeping a team competitive and serving as the driving force behind long-term success. It would be fantastic to see Cade spend his entire career in Detroit, become a franchise icon, and be a contributing factor to the conclusion of this dreadful period.
That’s the ideal case, but there’s also a nightmare.
Worst-case scenario for Cade Cunningham’s contract extension
Barring a catastrophic injury, it’s difficult to imagine Cunningham missing one or two All-Star games. He put up those stats last season, and if the team ever wins, he will be considered.
To me, his worst-case scenario is what we’re seeing with the Chicago Bulls and Zach LaVine, a brilliant player with weaknesses and injuries.
LaVine is an excellent player who has made several All-Star teams, but the Bulls have yet to win a championship since he joined the league. They are second only to the Pistons in terms of postseason victories (1) since 2018 (third if you include the Hornets, who have not made the playoffs since 2016).
LaVine is a great offensive player who cannot defend and has never achieved long-term success. Even worse, he now has an albatross of a contract that the Bulls are having difficulty dealing, to the point where they may have to accept a bad trade or even pay to throw him away.
This is the worst-case situation for Cade, who has yet to win a game in his three years in the league and is about to sign a large contract. Let’s hope it doesn’t become a burden for the Pistons at some point.
The second contract for high draft picks is always the most difficult to negotiate, as it is heavily reliant on the faith that his young person would become the player you believed he would be when you drafted him, even when there isn’t much evidence to support it.
The Pistons will have to take a leap of faith and hope Cunningham turns out more like the first scenario than the second.
