Cade Cunningham is the franchise player for the Detroit Pistons, at least until Victor Wembanyama dons a Pistons’ uniform. As good as Jaden Ivey is going to be, what’s important in the city of Detroit is that he complements Cade. As good as Jalen Duren is going to be, his fit with Cade is of the utmost importance. That’s why, once free agency gets underway this summer, it’ll be important to use that gauge when determining who to bring to the Motor City. That is, how do they fit alongside Cade Cunningham?
What follows is a brief assessment, position by position, that hopefully helps to answer that question.
But first, two fits so terrible they give me nightmares.
Detroit Pistons: Best and worst free-agent fits with Cade Cunningham
Dillon Brooks
As much as I don’t want to see Brooks come to Detroit, I have to at least address the possibility as there are definitely those who want it to happen and it’s hardly out of the question. My problem is his attitude. Am I being unfair? Perhaps. I don’t mind some dog in a player. Although I think Beef Stew overreacted when he fought his way through a crowd in an attempt to eat LeBron James, at least he manned all the way up. Brooks? He called James out but when he failed to answer his own challenge, Brooks didn’t even have the stones to address the media. That’s not the energy I want in our locker room. It just isn’t. I think we can do better, especially considering he’s a 3-point chucker who makes 32 percent of them.
Kyrie Irving
I would hate to see Irving come to Detroit for the wrong reasons, and the Detroit Pistons sign him because they think they’re getting a superstar at a discount. If it seems too good to be true, it is. At least, that’s been the case with Irving for nearly a decade. While he may be the most talented basketball player without a contract come summertime, I’d not be interested in him for so much as the veteran’s minimum. His ball dominant play would stunt the growth of our own budding stars, and his ego would be cancerous to a team in need of an identity. Hard pass.