Pistons Sign Former Elite Lottery Pick to Max Contract Extension

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - FEBRUARY 27: Cade Cunningham #2 and Jaden Ivey #23 of the Detroit Pistons celebrate against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at the United Center on February 27, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. The Pistons have signed Cade Cunningham to max contract extension.

The Detroit Pistons have signed their star guard and former No. 1 overall pick to a massive contract extension. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Pistons plan to sign guard Cade Cunningham to a five-year, $226 million maximum rookie extension.

Charania shared the news via Twitter/X.

The deal can become official by July 6, when the league's offseason moratorium on such moves lifts. Cunningham is among the best young guards in the league and will enter his fourth year after Detroit drafted him No. 1 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft.

The former 2022 All-Rookie member is coming off a productive season in the Motor City. In 62 games last season, Cunningham set career highs in points per game with 22.7, assists per game with 7.5, and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 45 percent from the field and 35 percent from three.

The new Pistons president of basketball operations, Trajan Langdon, expressed his excitement about extending the 22-year-old guard.

"As for Cade, he and I have had some really good conversations thus far," Langdon said. "High-character human being, mature beyond his years and a big-time basketball player at a young age, averaging 23 and 7 assists last year. We're going to put a group around him that can bolster his growth."

The Pistons' move to extend Cunningham is just one significant move. Detroit is set to hire J.B. Bickerstaff as their new head coach. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Bickerstaff's contract is a five-year deal.

Cunningham will have his third coach in four seasons, and the hope is Bickerstaff will fit in like a glove alongside the former top pick. In his short career thus far, the Texas native was a member of the NBA All-Rookie team in 2022 and is a career 20-point-per-game scorer while shooting 43.2 percent from the field, and 33 percent from three, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in 138 games and averaging 33.1 minutes per game.

The contract is well deserved and should be of tremendous value when it's all said and done. Cunningham's second year of his career was one to forget, as he only played in 12 games due to a stress fracture in his left shin. In Dec. 2022, Cunningham was ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery, and he came back with a vengeance this past season.

The hopes are high for Cunningham, and we'll see if he can guide the Pistons back to glory.

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