Cade Cunningham has missed the last four games for the Detroit Pistons and six of the last nine overall.
His status was listed as "injury maintenance" on his knee, which most of us assumed was code for "we're completely out of it, tanking and don't want to risk our best player in meaningless games."
Holding out top players with dubious injuries has become an annual tradition for the Pistons, who have had questionable late-season injuries in each of the last four seasons.
But a recent change in Cade Cunningham's injury status may be an indication that this is more than just maintenance.
Detroit Pistons vs. Chicago Bulls: Injury update
Cade Cunningham's injury designation is still "questionable" for tonight's game against the Chicago Bulls. All of the same Pistons (Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart, Stanley Umude, Quentin Grimes and Simone Fontecchio) remain out and all but Fontecchio have officially been ruled out for the remaining three games.
It's also been a custom over the last four seasons for the Pistons to finish with a radically different rotation than the one they started with, which is the case again this year.
But it's Cade's status everyone is wondering about, as his injury description was changed from "maintenance" to left knee "tendinopathy." So I did a quick medical degree on Google and from what I understand (which isn't much), tendinitis is from overload on the tendon and tendinosis is caused by repetitive stress. Tendinosis is more serious, but neither should require anything more than rest and rehab.
So Cade's knee should be a concern, but not one that should threaten his offseason much, as he just needs rest and can get back to work unless something changes.
The Bulls will be missing Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams and Julian Phillips. Alex Caruso is listed as probable, Ayo Dosunmu as questionable and Andre Drummond as doubtful for tonight's game.
The Pistons have won 2-of-3 against the Bulls this season and will look to keep their meager chances of tying the worst record in team history alive tonight in Little Caesar's Arena in what will be the final home game fans are subjected to in the 2023-24 season.