Cade Cunningham Discusses Carmelo Anthony Themed Plans Ahead of New Season

Cunningham, Anthony's Bond

The former Knicks, Nuggets and Trail Blazers superstar Anthony has been outspoken about his respect for Cunningham, the former number one overall pick out of Oklahoma State whose mid-range game recalls Anthony's heyday in the Big Apple.

Cunningham revealed he had plans to get together with Anthony this offseason that did not materialize.

"Cade said he tried scheduling some offseason workouts with Carmelo Anthony but they weren't able to make the time together," reporter Eric Vincent wrote.

"He's very proud to have respect from legends like Melo #Pistons."

Anthony's Prior Cunningham Comments

Anthony has worked as a consultant and has developed an eye for top NBA talent.

Cunningham was the target of his praise earlier this summer as the NBA was still fresh on sports fans' minds.

"People like, 'Yo, why you talking to Cade Cunningham? Why you dapping him up? I'm New York. That's not going nowhere," Anthony explained about the Knicks' budding arch-rival.

"My love, respect, and passion for that is different. Even as somebody who feels like they are a staple in this game of basketball, if I see a young guy, that's what we're supposed to do. It's just a respect I have for the game."

Pistons, Knicks Won't Play in 2025

The Pistons and Knicks won't renew their growing rivalry until next year with the first 2025-26 regular season game between the two scheduled for January 5, 2026 a Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

The Knicks and Pistons appear as two Eastern Conference teams on an upward arc with the Celtics battling injury problems and the Pacers in the same boat after Tyrese Haliburton's catastrophic NBA Finals injury.

Each team now has a golden opportunity to get a leg up on the rest of the Conference as their stars are healthy going into the 2025-26 season.

Cunningham's plans with Anthony didn't come to fruition, but the Pistons star has more than enough moves in his bag of tricks to reprise his role as an All-Star.

The Pistons are a better team with Cunningham on it; now the preparation begins for what fans hope will be the team's best season since the days of Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton.