{"id":141803,"date":"2025-05-26T09:00:52","date_gmt":"2025-05-26T13:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=141803"},"modified":"2025-05-26T05:49:32","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T09:49:32","slug":"contract-increase-pushes-cade-cunningham-into-superstar-status","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/05\/26\/contract-increase-pushes-cade-cunningham-into-superstar-status\/","title":{"rendered":"Contract Increase Pushes Cade Cunningham Into Superstar Status"},"content":{"rendered":"

With his All-NBA third-team selection, Detroit Pistons<\/a> point guard Cade Cunningham<\/a> has officially triggered a contract increase, boosting his rookie max extension<\/a> from $224 million to $269 million. Last summer, Cunningham signed the extension with the potential for escalators tied to end-of-season awards. Now, that bet has paid off.<\/p>\n

Cunningham led the Pistons’ resurgence this season, averaging 26.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 9.1 assists over 70 games. His stellar play has brought energy back to the Pistons\u2019 fan base and earned national recognition<\/a> for a franchise that has spent the past five years in the shadows.<\/p>\n

What does this new guaranteed money mean for the Pistons\u2019 offseason? And how does it shape Cunningham\u2019s path to true stardom? Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n

Contract Increase Pushes Cade Cunningham Into Superstar Status<\/h2>\n

Cade Cunningham\u2019s Contract Increase Shrinks Pistons’ Cap Space<\/h3>\n

Heading into the 2025 offseason, the Pistons are projected to have roughly $17 million in cap space<\/a>, just above the projected $14.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception. With Cunningham\u2019s salary now set to take up 30% of the cap instead of 25%, the Pistons are expected to operate as an over-the-cap team. That makes it unlikely they\u2019ll use cap space to add or retain players, relying instead on exceptions and internal flexibility.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Apr 29, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) celebrates after scoring in the third quarter against the New York Knicks during game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cunningham\u2019s contract increase still allows the Pistons to retain key veterans like Malik Beasley<\/a>, Dennis Schr\u00f6der<\/a>, Tim Hardaway Jr.<\/a>, and Paul Reed<\/a> on new deals. However, the long-term picture is more complex. Cunningham\u2019s extension will strain the Pistons\u2019 cap just as Jaden Ivey<\/a> and Jalen Duren<\/a> become extension-eligible.<\/p>\n

Pistons president Trajan Langdon has until the day before the 2025-26 season opener starts to extend Ivey and Duren. His approach\u2014while avoiding second-apron penalties\u2014will heavily influence the Pistons’ roster strategy moving forward. These negotiations will test Langdon\u2019s ability to balance financial discipline with the need to secure the team\u2019s young core. Locking in both players early could provide stability, but delayed extensions might create uncertainty\u2014and potential leverage shifts\u2014as the team continues to build around Cunningham.<\/p>\n

From Star to Superstar: Cunningham\u2019s Next Big Leap<\/h3>\n

With an All-NBA nod, All-Star recognition, and a top-10 MVP finish under his belt, expectations for Cunningham will skyrocket heading into next season. This season, Cunningham made his first All-Star game, ranked seventh in MVP voting, and was third in Most Improved Player voting, solidifying his rising star status. The challenge will be sustaining that level of play while leading a young team with playoff ambitions.<\/p>\n

This summer will be critical. Cunningham is expected to sharpen his outside shooting, tighten his handle, and continue building chemistry with a young core learning to win together. He\u2019s expected to embrace a louder leadership role as the Pistons\u2019 emerging franchise centerpiece off the court. The pressure will be heavier, and the spotlight will be brighter. But if this past season was any indication, Cunningham is ready to leap from rising star to full-fledged superstar.<\/p>\n

The Last Word<\/h3>\n

Cade Cunningham\u2019s contract increase reflects the Detroit Pistons’ belief in him as their centerpiece. Still, it also tightens the financial margins for a front office trying to build a sustainable contender. As cap space tightens and extension decisions loom, Cunningham\u2019s growth remains the steady force driving the Pistons forward.<\/p>\n

For the first time in years, there\u2019s real momentum in Detroit. And with Cunningham leading the charge, the Pistons are no longer just rebuilding\u2014they\u2019re building toward something real. The culture is shifting, the young core is maturing, and the fan base is re-engaged. There\u2019s still work to do, but the foundation is stronger than it has been in over a decade. If Cunningham stays on this path, the Pistons could soon be more than playoff hopefuls\u2014they could be genuine contenders.<\/p>\n

Photo credit: \u00a9 Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With his All-NBA third-team selection, Detroit Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham has officially triggered a contract increase, boosting his rookie max extension from $224 million to $269 million. Last summer, Cunningham signed the extension with the potential for escalators tied to end-of-season awards. Now, that bet has paid off. Cunningham led the Pistons’ resurgence this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5168,"featured_media":141823,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10,1608,62,3],"tags":[3965,252,4107,4432,293,2291,287],"class_list":["post-141803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pistons","category-basketball","category-nba","category-news","tag-cade-cunningham","tag-dennis-schroder","tag-jaden-ivey","tag-jalen-duren","tag-malik-beasley","tag-paul-reed","tag-tim-hardaway-jr"],"modified_by":"Kenny Kluska","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5168"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141803"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141803\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":141825,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141803\/revisions\/141825"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/141823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}