Cade Cunningham expects the Detroit Pistons to face a more difficult Eastern Conference in 2026-27 after LeBron James and Jaylen Brown joined Philadelphia and Giannis Antetokounmpo moved to Miami. Cunningham welcomed the changes, saying the added competition is part of what makes the NBA exciting.
“I like it, it’s fun. It’s fun for the game,” Cunningham told DJ Siddiqi of r.org. “They’re gonna be tough to beat. Obviously, they got all that talent over there, guys that play both ends of the ball, they’re gonna be tough to beat. But that’s the exciting part about it is the competition. I love the competition. LeBron’s in the East again, it’s good for everybody.”
Cunningham also said he was surprised to see James leave the Western Conference and join the 76ers. “It’s just funny to see LeBron. It’s just crazy to see that,” he said. “You know, obviously he’s blockbuster, so that’s good, him coming back to the East. I’m excited.”
The Pistons finished the 2025-26 regular season with the Eastern Conference’s best record at 60-22, four games ahead of Boston. Detroit then defeated Orlando 4-3 in the first round before losing to Cleveland 4-3 in the conference semifinals.
Cunningham was central to that turnaround, averaging 23.9 points and 9.9 assists in 64 regular-season games. He shot 46.1% from the field and 34.2% from three-point range while finishing fifth in MVP voting and earning first-team All-NBA honors.
His production increased during the playoffs. Cunningham averaged 28.1 points, 7.5 assists and 5.1 rebounds over 14 postseason games while shooting 43.2% overall and 40.2% from three.
The seven-game loss to Cleveland reinforced Cunningham’s emphasis on improving against playoff defenses. He said teams that can continue scoring when both defenses become more difficult to attack have an advantage.
“Especially when both defenses are locked down, it’s hard to score,” Cunningham said. “The team that can put the ball, find ways to still put the ball in the rim, it’s important.”
Detroit has reshaped its supporting cast around Cunningham this offseason. The Pistons added John Collins on a three-year, $51 million contract, signed veteran guards Kevin Huerter, and acquired Gary Harris and Taurean Prince while also selecting Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie with the 17th overall pick.
Cunningham said the new additions bring qualities Detroit needs. “They’re all high-IQ players, guys that can shoot the ball; all that stuff is needed for us,” he said.
The Pistons will therefore enter the season with Cunningham again leading an Eastern Conference contender, but the path has become more demanding. Philadelphia now has James and Brown, Miami has Antetokounmpo alongside Bam Adebayo, and Detroit will have an opportunity to measure its progress against the conference’s revamped contenders.
Asked whether he was looking forward to facing James and Brown, Cunningham kept his answer brief: “Yeah, we get to see him. Let’s do it.”
