If you’ve been following the NBA even loosely over the last few years, you’ve likely seen the name Cade Cunningham popping up in MVP conversations and highlight reels. It’s a fair question to ask: what team does Cade Cunningham play for right now?
The short answer? The Detroit Pistons.
He isn't just "on the roster," though. He’s the undisputed engine of the franchise. Since being taken with the first overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Cade has become the face of Detroit basketball. Honestly, it’s hard to imagine the Pistons without him at this point.
The Franchise Cornerstone in Detroit
Right now, in 2026, Cade Cunningham is deep into his tenure with the Pistons. He’s not going anywhere anytime soon, either. In July 2024, he signed a massive five-year maximum rookie scale extension worth up to $269 million. That deal keeps him in a Pistons jersey through the 2029-30 season.
He’s the guy.
The Pistons have basically built their entire identity around his 6'6" frame and elite court vision. It hasn't always been easy—Detroit went through some historically rough patches early in his career—but the 2025-26 season has seen a massive shift. As of mid-January 2026, the Pistons aren't just "improving"; they’ve been hovering at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
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Why People Keep Asking About Him
Cade is what scouts call a "jumbo initiator." He has the height of a wing but the brain of a pure point guard. Because he plays in Detroit—a market that doesn't always get the prime-time national TV slots of the Lakers or Knicks—some casual fans occasionally lose track of where he’s at.
But if you look at the box scores lately, he’s impossible to miss.
How Cade Is Playing This Season (2025-26)
We’re currently seeing the best version of Cade Cunningham. He’s currently averaging about 26.7 points, 9.7 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game. Those are video game numbers. In fact, he’s joining company like Nikola Jokic as one of the few players to ever put up a 26/9/6 stat line over a season.
He’s a walking triple-double threat.
Earlier this season, in November 2025, he actually put up a career-high 46-point triple-double. It was one of those "arrival" moments where the rest of the league had to stop and realize that the Pistons were actually for real this time.
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The Roster Around Him
The team has done a much better job of surrounding him with talent lately. It’s no longer the "Cade versus the world" show. Here is a quick look at who he’s sharing the floor with in Detroit:
- Jalen Duren: The high-flying center who acts as Cade’s primary lob threat.
- Ausar Thompson: A defensive specialist who takes the tough assignments so Cade can focus on orchestrating the offense.
- Tobias Harris: The veteran presence brought in to provide floor spacing and locker room leadership.
- Duncan Robinson: Acquired to give Cade the elite 3-point shooting gravity he desperately needed in previous years.
- Jaden Ivey: A lightning-fast guard who provides a change of pace, though he's mostly been coming off the bench recently.
Recent Injury Scares
If you’ve heard rumors about him being "out," don't panic. Cade did have a brief scare with a right wrist contusion in early January 2026. He missed a few games against the Bulls and Clippers, which naturally led to people googling his status.
Good news for Pistons fans: he was officially cleared and returned to the lineup for the January 15th game against the Phoenix Suns. He’s back to full strength and leading the charge for a potential deep playoff run.
What's Next for Cade and the Pistons?
The narrative around Cade has officially shifted from "Can he save a franchise?" to "How far can he take them in the playoffs?"
For a long time, people doubted if he could be the number one option on a championship-level team because of his shooting efficiency. He’s silenced most of those critics by bumping his field goal percentage up to the 46% range and becoming a much more dangerous threat from deep.
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If you want to keep up with his progress, the best thing to do is watch the Pistons’ upcoming schedule. They have huge matchups against the Indiana Pacers and the Boston Celtics coming up. Watching how Cade handles the defensive pressure from a team like Boston will tell you everything you need to know about his growth.
Check the local Detroit sports broadcasts or NBA League Pass to see him in action. The "Motor City" finally has its spark plug back, and he's wearing number 2.
Actionable Insight: If you're a fantasy basketball manager or just a fan of the game, monitor Cade's assist-to-turnover ratio. While his scoring is elite, his ability to manage the game with fewer than 4 turnovers a night is the real indicator of whether the Pistons will hold onto that number one seed in the East.
Stay tuned to the injury reports before big games, but for now, expect him to be the focal point of every Pistons game plan for the foreseeable future.