Despite a 14-win season, Cunningham showed signs of growth in Year 3, averaging career highs in points (22.7) and assists (7.5) per game. He also posted career-high shooting splits -- 44.9/35.5/86.9. It was a great individual bounce-back season after missing the majority of the 2022-23 campaign due to a shin injury. For the most part, Cunningham was healthy in 2023-24, but he was shut down at the beginning of April due to left knee tendinopathy. Before missing the final seven games, Cunningham scored at least 32 points in three consecutive appearances, so it seems fair to say the medical staff was just being cautious. While the counting stats are there, Cunningham hasn't delivered elite fantasy production in his career, failing to crack the top 50 players in eight-category leagues in each of his first three seasons. The Pistons improved their roster this offseason behind Cunningham, who should remain the offensive focal point. Detroit drafted Ron Holland at No. 5 overall and signed veterans Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway. Increased floor spacing and better shooters should help Cunningham take another step in Year 4, but fantasy managers counting on the Oklahoma State product to deliver top-30 production may be in for a rude awakening. Read Past Outlooks
$Signed a five-year, $224.24 million contract extension with the Pistons in July of 2024.
Personal Bio/PreCareer Summary
Cunningham lived up to the hype and then some in his one-and-done season at Oklahoma State as a first-team All-American and Wooden Award Finalist. He led the Big 12 Conference in scoring (20.1 ppg) and minutes played (35.4 mpg) on his way to conference player of the year honors. That included a 40-point effort Feb. 27 against in-state rival Oklahoma in what was Cunningham's second double-double of the year. The 6-foot-8 forward -- who also possesses a 7-0 wingspan -- consistently impressed NBA scouts with his ball-handling ability (3.5 apg) and three-point shooting (40.0 percent), often taking on a point-forward role. Cunningham almost singlehandedly brought the Cowboys back to their first NCAA Tournament since 2016-17, even helping the program to its first tournament victory since 2008-09.
Nears triple-double Friday
GDetroit Pistons
October 11, 2024
Cunningham tabulated 25 points (10-16 FG, 1-4 3PT, 4-4 FT), 12 rebounds, nine assists and two steals in 31 minutes during Friday's 109-91 preseason win over Phoenix.
ANALYSIS After a slow start to his preseason, Cunningham came alive Friday, falling one assist short of a triple-double. It was a dominant performance by Cunningham, reminding fantasy managers just what he is capable of when healthy. Despite an injury-plagued career to this point, Cunningham remains one of the more exciting players in the league. The Pistons have made some savvy moves during the offseason in the hopes of at least being competitive. Managers should cross their fingers that Cunningham can stay on the floor and that Detroit stays relevant beyond February.
2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Starting/Off Bench
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2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Days Rest
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2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Vs Opp
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2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - By Result
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Advanced Stats
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2023
2022
2021
Stat Review
How does Cade Cunningham compare to other players?
This section compares his stats with all players from the previous three seasons (minimum 200 minutes played)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
True Shooting %
An advanced statistic that measures a player's efficiency at shooting the ball that takes field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three point percentage into account.
Effective Field Goal %
A statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points while field goals only count for two points.
3-Point Attempt Rate
Percentage of field goal attempts from three point range.
Free Throw Rate
Number of free throw attempts per field goal attempt.
Offensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available offensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Defensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available defensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Total Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Assist %
An estimate of the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while they were on the floor.
Steal %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent possessions that end with a steal by the player while they were on the floor.
Block %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent two-point field goal attempts blocked by the player while they were on the floor.
Turnover %
An estimate of turnovers committed per 100 plays.
Usage %
An estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while they were on the floor.
Fantasy Points Per Game
NBA Fantasy Points Per Game.
Fantasy Points Per Minute
NBA Fantasy Points Per Minute.
True Shooting %
54.6%
Effective Field Goal %
50.0%
3-Point Attempt Rate
28.7%
Free Throw Rate
23.5%
Offensive Rebound %
1.7%
Defensive Rebound %
12.9%
Total Rebound %
7.2%
Assist %
37.5%
Steal %
1.2%
Block %
0.9%
Turnover %
10.7%
Usage %
0.0%
Fantasy Points Per Game
39.4
Fantasy Points Per Minute
1.2
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Total
Per Game
Per 36
NBA Historical Fantasy Stats
How are these ratings calculated?
Our historical fantasy ratings are standard scores calculated using 8-Category settings with 12 teams and 13 players per team.
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NBA Per Game Historical Fantasy Stats
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NBA Per 36 Historical Fantasy Stats
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Historical ADP
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Pistons Depth Chart
Our full team depth charts are reserved for RotoWire subscribers.
Average Fantasy Points are determined when Cade Cunningham was active vs. non-active during the season. Click here to view average fantasy points for a different time period.
Minutes
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo
FantasyDraft
Head2Head
Sorare
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
Cunningham is one of the most intriguing players this season. The 2021 No. 1 overall pick played just 12 games last year, suffering a season-ending shin injury in November. Before the injury, Cunningham averaged 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists on 41.5 percent shooting. It's fair to assume some development, with those 2022-23 averages looking like his floor for this upcoming season. That draft status should keep him as the top option in this offense, but this team is the deepest it's been since Cunningham was drafted. Jaden Ivey (No. 5 pick last season) was the primary ball-handler in the final months of last season, while Killian Hayes and Monte Morris are expected to play plenty as well. There's also Bojan Bogdanovic, Joe Harris, and Ausar Thompson on the wings, while Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley take over the frontcourt. All of that means Detroit has a ton to figure out, with Cunningham as the straw who stirs the drink. This is still one of the most talented young players in the NBA and is an appropriate pick starting in the third round of most fantasy leagues.
While Cunningham wasn't as heralded as some of the previous No.1 picks, the 2021 NBA Draft first overall selection didn't disappoint as a rookie, earning All-Rookie First Team honors. Cunningham finished the campaign hot, averaging 21.1 points, 6.5 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals over his last 20 games. While Cunningham struggled to consistently connect from beyond the arc (31.4 percent) in 2021-22, he fared much better in his lone collegiate campaign (40.0 percent), so there's room for growth in that area heading into his second professional campaign. Likely aiding Cunnigham's development is an infusion of young talent that includes 2022 No. 5 overall pick Jaden Ivey and No. 13 pick Jalen Duren, who both pieced together solid Summer League showings. Ivey, in particular, should help take some of the pressure off of Cunningham in the backcourt. The Pistons also return most of their production from a season ago, retaining seven of the eight players that played at least 1,000 total minutes last. The lone exception is Jerami Grant, who Detroit shipped to Portland this offseason for a protected 2025 first-round pick. The rebuilding Pistons figure to rely heavily on their youth again this season, so look for Cunnigham to be front-and-center in the rotation and set to supply a diverse set of fantasy contributions.
While Detroit did its homework on the other top prospects, Cunningham was the relatively easy choice at No. 1 overall, and he'll enter his first NBA season as the clear-cut Rookie of the Year favorite. Similarly, the Oklahoma State product is the favorite to finish as the top fantasy player in the 2021 rookie class, thanks to a well-rounded stat profile that saw him average 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.8 blocks per game last season. An excellent decision-maker and facilitator with prototypical size (6-8, 220lbs), Cunningham is also an efficient scorer who drilled 40 percent of his 5.7 three-point attempts per game at Oklahoma State. Like all rookies, Cunningham will inevitably go through some rough stretches, but in terms of fantasy value, he easily has the highest floor among the elite prospects. Given that he'll likely be handed the keys to the Pistons' franchise from Day 1, Cunningham projects to be the first rookie off the board in most standard leagues.
More Fantasy News
Poor shooting in preseason win
GDetroit Pistons
October 7, 2024
Cunningham delivered 13 points (5-13 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 1-2 FT), four rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block across 25 minutes in Sunday's 120-87 preseason win over the Bucks.
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Reaches five-year extension
GDetroit Pistons
July 9, 2024
Cunningham (knee) and the Pistons agreed on a five-year, $224 million maximum rookie extension Tuesday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
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Set to sign five-year extension
GDetroit Pistons
June 30, 2024
Cunningham (knee) agreed Sunday with the Pistons on a five-year, $226 million max extension, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
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Downgraded to out
GDetroit Pistons
Knee
April 14, 2024
Cunningham (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Spurs.
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Doubtful to play Sunday
GDetroit Pistons
Knee
April 13, 2024
Cunningham (knee) is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Spurs.
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ANALYSIS Sankofa believes the Pistons should improve compared to their disastrous 2023-24 season, but for that to happen, Cunningham is one of several players who will need to improve and show he's worthy of his role in the team. The pressure on Cunningham will be even bigger this season, as he recently signed a max rookie scale extension in the offseason. The star floor general averaged 22.7 points, 7.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 33.5 minutes over 62 regular-season games.