Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham believes his team is not receiving enough recognition heading into the 2026-27 NBA season, despite its recent success and an active offseason aimed at building a championship contender.
“I still feel like we’re a little slept on, man. I still feel like people don’t really give us the credit that maybe we’ve earned,” Cunningham said, according to Omari Sankofa II on Thursday, October 15, 2026.
The All-NBA guard added that the team does not spend much time worrying about outside perceptions.
“But again, that’s the beauty of it … We don’t really worry too much about that stuff,” Cunningham said.
Detroit finished the 2025-26 regular season with a 60-22 record, the best mark in the Eastern Conference, before losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Cunningham averaged 23.9 points and 9.9 assists in 64 games last season, earning All-NBA First Team recognition and finishing fifth in MVP voting. He also placed fourth in Clutch Player of the Year voting, further establishing his role as Detroit’s primary offensive creator.
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Jalen Duren emerged as a major second option, averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in 70 games. The center earned All-NBA Third Team honors and finished 11th in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Detroit has since reinforced its commitment to the young core. Duren signed a five-year, $200 million contract, while Ausar Thompson agreed to a five-year, $155 million extension that begins in 2027-28.
The Pistons also added John Collins in a sign-and-trade with the Los Angeles Clippers. Collins signed a three-year, $51 million contract and is expected to start at power forward, giving Detroit another proven scoring option alongside Cunningham and Duren.
Detroit also acquired guard Ebuka Okorie with the 17th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft after moving up from No. 21. Okorie averaged 23.2 points and 3.6 assists during his freshman season at Stanford and is expected to provide backup point-guard minutes behind Cunningham.
The offseason brought significant departures, including Tobias Harris, Isaiah Stewart, Caris LeVert and Marcus Sasser.
