Mar 8, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) and Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody (4) wait for play to resume in the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Pistons' Cade Cunningham Viewed as Future MVP Candidate

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Kevin McCormick | Last updated Sep 19, 2025 7:15 PM ET

Amid the Detroit Pistons' historic turnaround, Cade Cunningham put himself on the map in a big way. Now an established young star in the NBA, the former No. 1 pick's stock continues to rise at a rapid rate.

Since being the top pick in 2021, Cunningham has steadily improved for Detroit. However, having a fully healthy offseason resulted in him making "the leap" in 2025.

A big reason why the Pistons were able to triple their win total in one year is because of Cunningham's elite all-around play. He was a driving force for their offense as both a scorer and facilitator. The Pistons star finished the regular season with averages of 26.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 9.1 APG.

Along with getting Detroit to the playoffs for the first time since 2019, Cunningham's breakout campaign resulted in his first All-Star and All-NBA nominations.

Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

Now an established All-NBA-level talent, Cunningham has entered the discussion of the best young players in the league right now. Still years away from his prime, many expect him to keep progressing towards superstardom in the coming years.

Ahead of the 2026 season, Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report broke down a handful of candidates to be front and center in the MVP race five years from now. San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama headlined the group, but Cunningham also got a mention.

At 6'6" and 220 pounds, Cunningham has the frame to become a premier contact initiator as he develops his overall offensive game. He's doubled his three-throw trips since his rookie season and will continue to become one of the game's best scorers with increased drives and improved three-point efficiency.

The best passer on this entire list, Cunningham has the height to see over most of his defenders and the Pistons' young core only continues to develop next to him.

Seeing that he impacts multiple facets of the game on a nightly basis, Cunningham will likely have the counting stats to be in MVP conversations in the future. The key to his case will be Detroit climbing the ranks in the Eastern Conference.

If the Pistons are able to emerge as a legitimate contender and secure one of the top spots in the East, Cunningham will have a good chance to make a run at MVP.

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

More must-reads: