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Mar 21, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) runs back up the court against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Which Pistons Could Be in an Awards Race This Season?

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Kevin McCormick | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 6:15 PM ET

During the 2025 season, no team in the NBA turned more heads than the Detroit Pistons. Once again a competitive squad in the Eastern Conference, they have a handful of names to watch when it comes to seasonal awards.

Amid their historic turnaround last season, the Pistons got their fair share of league-wide recognition. Cade Cunningham received All-Star and All-NBA honors, along with multiple members of the organization being in the running for other awards. However, nobody ended up taking home any hardware.

Pulling off a breakout campaign, Cunningham was named a finalist for Most Improved Player. Despite emerging as a star-level talent, he'd finish in third behind Ivica Zubac and Dyson Daniels (winner).

Aside from Cunningham, Malik Beasley was another player who was in arm's reach of an award last season. The sharpshooting guard was one of the league's best reserve players, but wound up being the runner-up for the Sixth Man of the Year. On top of this snub, J.B. Bickerstaff also finished second in voting for Coach of the Year behind Kenny Atkinson.

Now that they're a more established team, the Pistons have better chances at taking home hardware in 2026. That said, here are a couple of names worth keeping an eye on.

Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Ausar Thompson: Most Improved Player

Kicking things off is arguably the Pistons player with the most buzz around them, Ausar Thompson. Upon returning from his blood clot diagnosis, the former No. 5 pick continued to show the potential of being a strong do-it-all talent on the wing.

Given his situation, the hype around Thompson is warranted. Seeing that this is his first offseason in the NBA fully healthy, he has a chance to take a big step forward in his development. In the event Thompson can show similar progress to his twin brother, he could emerge as a favorite to take home Most Improved Player.

Cade Cunningham: Most Valuable Player

Coming off an All-NBA season at the age of 23, Cunningham is now a budding superstar in the league. Following his impressive showing in 2025, the next big jump for him is becoming a legitimate candidate for MVP.

With his strong all-around play, Cunningham puts up the counting stats to enter the conversation. A big factor in his case will be Detroit jumping up a couple of spots in the standings.

Fresh off helping the Pistons to a historic turnaround, Cunningham has the narrative aspect when it comes to MVP. If he can maintain his high level of production and the Pistons are a top team in the East, he could very well receive MVP votes for a second straight season.

Honorable mention: J.B. Bickerstaff, Coach of the Year

It might be a bit of a long shot, but it still deserves a mention. After helping the Pistons end their playoff drought in his first season as head coach, Bickerstaff remains a name to monitor when it comes to COY.

If Bickerstaff wants any shot at the award again, Detroit will have to continue its rapid rise up the East standings. With the state of the conference being so weak right now, the Pistons have a chance to leapfrog a handful of teams. In the event they manage to come away with a top-three seed, Bickerstaff will certainly have a strong COY case again.

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

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