Selected with the top pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Cunningham has shown tremendous potential for a team that has only made the playoffs twice since the 2009-2010 season.
The 6-foot-8 Cunningham – with a wingspan listed as 7-foot-1, remarkable for a point guard – has made the Pistons a team to watch among NBA bettors heading into next season. Throw in the hiring of coach Monty Williams, who had successful stints with the Pelicans and Suns, and the Pistons appear poised to move up the NBA standings.
Cunningham signed a 4-year $45.9 million deal when he was drafted out of Oklahoma State and has a listed net worth of $4 million. He will make $11 million this season – the third year of his deal, and $13.9 million next season. He does not have any major endorsement deals.
Considered a new breed of NBA guard, who can use their size to score and vision to hand out assists, Cunningham prides himself on being a complete player.
“I take a lot of pride in playmaking,” Cunningham told NBA.com after being drafted in 2021. “Any time I watch basketball or just watching a player, I feel like their playmaking ability shows how much they know the game and their feel for the game. If you can make plays for your team and put your teammates in winning positions, you can always find playing time. I take a lot of pride in it and feel like it’s a huge skill. I’m only going to try to get better at it.”
As a rookie, Cunningham finished third in the NBA’s Rookie of the Year voting. An ankle injury caused him to miss a handful of games, but he started 64 and averaged 17.4 points and shot 41 percent from the floor.
The Pistons entered the 2022-2023 season with a young team not expected to contend. Cunningham showed he had learned lessons from the previous year, scoring a career-high 35 points in the sixth game of the season, a loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
A few weeks later, Cunningham went on the injured list and needed surgery on his shin and missed the entire season, only playing in 12 games.
But with the Pistons having the No. 5 pick in the NBA Draft and new coach Monty Williams, there’s optimism that the Pistons are thundering again.
Cunningham is a big reason why. He was born in Arlington, Texas. His father played football at Texas Tech. Cunningham played two years for Bowie High School in Arlington before transferring to noted national basketball powerhouse Monteverde Academy. There he played alongside stars Scottie Barnes (now with the Raptors) and Day’Ron Sharpe (Nets). Cunningham was named Mr. Basketball USA and MaxPreps National Player of the Year his senior year.
After a short recruiting process, Cunningham committed to Oklahoma State, and stayed with the Cowboys even though the program was placed on probation because of improper activities by a former assistant coach.
Cunningham was a star in an Oklahoma State jersey, averaging 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists in his one year in Stillwater. He was the fourth player in the conference’s history to be named both Big 12 Player of the Year and Big 12 Freshman of the Year.
He is only the third player the Pistons have ever drafted first overall, along with Hall of Famer Bob Lanier (1970) and Jimmy Walker (1967).
Cunningham was hailed as one of the top prospects in college basketball and declared for the NBA Draft. It was a smart decision, as he was selected No. 1. Now he’s expected to lead the Pistons back to NBA prominence.
