After a busy Pistons offseason with a lot of changing parts, they will rely on Cade Cunningham as much as ever next season. Hopefully, Cade won’t be asked to do as much carrying the team on the court, but he’ll need to be more vocal as a leader to make up for the loss of Tobias Harris and Isaiah Stewart. Both of those offseason departures were key leaders in the locker room for the last two seasons, leaving a void that Cade is best equipped to fill.
Cade Cunningham’s role will expand beyond the court
We’re already seeing Cade step up as a leader during the offseason, whether it’s organizing team camps or specifically working out with younger players. He’ll need to maintain that leadership going into the season as new players get integrated into the team and the Pistons look to take another step.
After Stewart’s departure, Cunningham is officially the longest-tenured Piston. He’s heading into his 6th season with the team since being drafted first overall in 2021. Part of his responsibility will now include getting the most out of his teammates, especially since the front office has yet to make the big move that fans eagerly await.
It’s hard to believe but Cade is arguably entering veteran territory next season even though he’s just 24 years old right now. He’s clearly earned the full trust of his teammates and organization after two straight All-NBA seasons. He even proved himself as a superstar in the playoffs last season.
But he’ll need to do more work maintaining team morale and chemistry next season. Harris and Stewart surely helped with those efforts last season, both due to their experience and general demeanor. Even on the court, we often saw them being the most vocal leaders - but now it could be Cade.
The Pistons need to help Cade too
Of course Cade can’t keep the team together by himself. Fortunately, they’ve still got relative continuity in their core despite losing Stewart and Harris. Detroit should return all its other starters from last season besides Harris, assuming they can reach a resolution with restricted free agent Jalen Duren.
The residual chemistry of coming off a 60-win season should help Cade speak up more as a leader. His coach JB Bickerstaff is also known for his strong presence, especially on the defensive end. Cade and JB will clearly be the leaders of the team next season, but they need the other Pistons to step up and fall in line.
Duren's contract standoff has already raised some questions about damaged team chemistry before the season has even started. The Pistons can't succeed with a fractured locker room and Cade lone might not be enough to solve any lingering bad blood. Duren himself and the other Pistons need to enter the season with the right mindset and follow Cade's lead.
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