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What Cade Cunningham's all-NBA honor means for the financial future of pistons

What Cade Cunningham's all-NBA honor means for the financial future of pistons

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Cade Cunningham sat on a podium 520 days ago and turned to a group of reporters after his Detroit pistons cough another game on the track, this time to a short jazz team from Utah. It was her 25th loss in a row.

The then 22-year-old was bent, his hands pressed.

“We are not 2-26 bad, do you know what I mean?” He said on December 21, 2023. “How, never.”

On Friday, around one and a half years from his conviction in the worst season in the Pistons franchise history, Cunningham ended his best NBA season with a selection of the third team from 2025. Cunningham recorded career height in points (26.1), assists (9.1), blocks (0.8), field zialpencies (46.9) and 3-point percentage (35.6). He can now say that he made an all-NBA team in addition to his first all-star selection.

His honor also has great financial effects.

Cunningham agreed to a maximum contract extension of five years in July 2024, which contained a provision known as “Rose Regel”. Named after MVP Derrick Rose 2011 enables players who sign a maximum contract extension to negotiate a clause that gives you an increase if you win the MVP, defensive player of the year, or one of the three all NBA team. Since Cunningham has made an all-NBA team this season, his new contract begins 30 percent of the NBA salary limit 2025-26 instead of 25 percent. Based on the CAP estimates, his contract for five years is forecast instead of 224 million US dollars.

Due to the upcoming increase of salary from Cunningham, which begins next season, the piston projects a maximum of $ 17 million in Cap Space in this low season. This number is about 3 million US dollars more than the exception of Nontaxpayer Mid Level, which makes it unlikely that Detroit will immerse yourself in his cap room to carry out the offseason obligations.

Assuming that Detroit does not use his cap place, Cunningham's salary leap probably still enables the pistons to sign unrestricted free agents Malik Beasley, Dennis Schröder, Tim Hardaway Jr. and even Paul Reed, while she still remains below the second apron of the luxury tax. However, this could lead to financial effects. Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, both in 2022 lottery picks, are entitled to rookie scale extensions, just like Cunningham last summer.

The league usually gives the teams until the day before the start of the regular season to hire players for rookie scale extensions. In view of the estimated increase in Cunningham, the workout of business for the storage of Ivey and Duren can also become a challenge for Trajan Langdon and the Front Office of Detroit in the future years.

Now that Cunningham has established itself as one of the bright talents of the league and the pistons brought back onto the NBA card, what's next? The owner of Detroit Tom Gores has high expectations.

“I concentrate on MVP for him,” said Gores before the Pistons 6 defeated the New York Knicks. “He has that. Everyone saw it this year that he is a superstar in the origin. His ability. His attitude. I spoke to Cade throughout the season to remind him that so much of the character of this team revolves around his ability to remain strong.”

In his fourth NBA season, 23-year-old Cunningham took seventh place in the MVP vote this season and received a fourth votes and nine votes in fifth place. He only beat Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell and LeBron James. Cunningham is the youngest of the piles three years and behind 26-year-old Gilgeous-Alexander.

Cunningham had the same conviction 520 days ago when only a few about those within the pistons of the walls were of the opinion that this level of the individual and the team was so quickly reached that it is now even higher than being called into an all-star or all-NBA team.

“Restoring this franchise” is what we said a lot, “said Cunningham on February 26, after Detroit had won his eighth victory for the first time since 2008.

“I think the city wants to see a lot more. The city wants championships. So we slowly build on the up and this is a good start for us.”

It remains to be seen what the Piston's front office of the pistons decides for Cunningham with a squad suitable for the championship dispute. But thanks to Cunningham's all-nba nod, Detroit now has a rough estimate what it takes to build his cornerstone.

(Photo: Rick Osentoski / Imagn Pictures)))

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