Apr 24, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) dribbles in the second half against the New York Knicks during game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Pistons' Cade Cunningham Predicted to Join NBA's Upper Echelon

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Kevin McCormick | Last updated Sep 25, 2025 3:16 PM ET

In his fourth season with the Detroit Pistons, Cade Cunningham was able to make "the leap" towards superstardom. As he prepares to build off his successful 2025 campaign, one analyst doesn't expect his meteoric rise to stop anytime soon.

Towards the end of the 2024 season, the former No. 1 pick started to show flashes of becoming a premier talent at the point guard position. Following a fully healthy offseason, he was able to make massive strides in his development.

Not only did Cunningham grow as a player, but his heightened play did wonders for the Pistons from a competitive standpoint. The 24-year-old landed his first All-Star and All-NBA nods after averaging 26.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 9.1 APG in the regular season.

Led by their emerging star, Detroit was able to triple its win total from 2024 and secure a spot in the postseason for the first time since 2019.

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

When ESPN put out its top 100 NBA player rankings last year, Cunningham was seen as one of the biggest snubs at No. 67. Coming off his most dominant season in the pros, he saw a drastic rise up the list. The Pistons guard is now on the cusp of being a top-ten player in the league, slotting in at No. 12 behind OKC Thunder forward Jalen Williams.

As the results slowly got released, a panel of ESPN writers gave their thoughts on how the rankings unfolded. When asked to pick a player to crack the top ten in next year's edition, Jorge Sedano went with Cunningham to join the NBA's upper echelon of stars.

Cade Cunningham (No. 12) is an absolute star, and the leaps he continues to make will catapult him into the upper levels of superstardom. His combination of size and skill -- which are reminiscent of Doncic in a lot of ways, particularly the way he can see over the defenses -- is the reason the Pistons are the team to watch in the Eastern Conference. Cunningham's pick-and-roll game is already elite, and there's growth potential to be a three-level scorer.

Even though he's only a couple of spots away, making the jump into the top ten won't be easy. That said, if Cunningham can continue to be one of the league's top all-around players and the Pistons climb the standings, he'll have a very good case as he gets ready to begin his prime.

This article first appeared on Detroit Pistons on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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