A little over a year after saying, "We’re not 2–26 bad," Cade Cunningham has proven the skeptics wrong and changed the course of the Detroit Pistons. The 23-year-old guard making it to the 2025 All-NBA Third Team not only confirms his standout season but also triggers a $45 million bonus in his rookie max extension, bringing the total to $269 million. This solidifies Cunningham as the key player for the franchise, but it also brings new financial challenges for Detroit’s management.
Cade Cunningham's All-NBA honor triggers $45 million contract boost, reshaping Pistons' financial strategyCade Cunningham's selection for the All-NBA Third Team, revealed on May 24, 2025, is a major achievement in his rising career. This recognition not only celebrates his performance on the court but also activates the "Rose Rule" in his contract, raising his five-year extension from $224 million to $269 million—a $45 million jump. This change highlights Cunningham's key role in the Pistons' revival and reinforces the team's commitment to building around him.
In the 2024–25 season, Cunningham really showed how much he’s improved, averaging 26.1 points, 9.1 assists, and 6.1 rebounds each game. He helped the Pistons achieve a 44–38 record and made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. His outstanding performance got him All-NBA recognition and he finished seventh in MVP voting, which really shows how much of an impact he’s making in the league.
https://x.com/YossiGozlan/status/1926053190803333443
Cunningham's contract increase is throwing a wrench into Detroit's financial plans. With his higher salary, the team's expected cap space for the next offseason is shrinking, which could hinder their chances of going after top free agents. Still, the Pistons have some room to look into keeping important players like Malik Beasley, Dennis Schröder, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Paul Reed, all while keeping an eye on luxury tax issues.
As they look to the future, the Pistons need to think about contract extensions for their promising players, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, who are both up for rookie-scale extensions. It's going to be important to juggle these commitments while keeping some financial wiggle room to keep the team's progress going.
Also Read: “These youngsters are crazy” — Shaquille O’Neal taps son Shareef to bridge gap between Reebok and a new generation of athletes
The recognition of Cade Cunningham as an All-NBA player and the financial edge that comes with that will help change Detroit Pistons’ fortunes. His growth perpetuates the team's foundation, though to keep that house sturdy will require thorough financial forethought to build out the entire surrounding walls of a championship team around their star guard. Therein lies both the difficulty and the opportunity for the Pistons as they move through this new era: they will need to find the balance between proper talent retention and financial prudence and how they do this will be an indicator by which the success of the franchise will be measured.
Cade Cunningham's All-NBA honor triggers $45 million contract boost, reshaping Pistons' financial strategyCade Cunningham's selection for the All-NBA Third Team, revealed on May 24, 2025, is a major achievement in his rising career. This recognition not only celebrates his performance on the court but also activates the "Rose Rule" in his contract, raising his five-year extension from $224 million to $269 million—a $45 million jump. This change highlights Cunningham's key role in the Pistons' revival and reinforces the team's commitment to building around him.
In the 2024–25 season, Cunningham really showed how much he’s improved, averaging 26.1 points, 9.1 assists, and 6.1 rebounds each game. He helped the Pistons achieve a 44–38 record and made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. His outstanding performance got him All-NBA recognition and he finished seventh in MVP voting, which really shows how much of an impact he’s making in the league.
https://x.com/YossiGozlan/status/1926053190803333443
Cunningham's contract increase is throwing a wrench into Detroit's financial plans. With his higher salary, the team's expected cap space for the next offseason is shrinking, which could hinder their chances of going after top free agents. Still, the Pistons have some room to look into keeping important players like Malik Beasley, Dennis Schröder, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Paul Reed, all while keeping an eye on luxury tax issues.
As they look to the future, the Pistons need to think about contract extensions for their promising players, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, who are both up for rookie-scale extensions. It's going to be important to juggle these commitments while keeping some financial wiggle room to keep the team's progress going.
Also Read: “These youngsters are crazy” — Shaquille O’Neal taps son Shareef to bridge gap between Reebok and a new generation of athletes
The recognition of Cade Cunningham as an All-NBA player and the financial edge that comes with that will help change Detroit Pistons’ fortunes. His growth perpetuates the team's foundation, though to keep that house sturdy will require thorough financial forethought to build out the entire surrounding walls of a championship team around their star guard. Therein lies both the difficulty and the opportunity for the Pistons as they move through this new era: they will need to find the balance between proper talent retention and financial prudence and how they do this will be an indicator by which the success of the franchise will be measured.
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