If Cade Cunningham makes All-NBA, here's how much more money Pistons will owe him
Cade Cunningham will soon find out if he'll make his first All-NBA team. Whether or not he does will have ramifications on the Detroit Pistons' offseason and their future salary cap.
The rising superstar has put himself into position to make an All-NBA roster for the first time following his breakout season, averaging 26.1 points, 9.1 assists and 6.1 rebounds for a 44-win Pistons team that fell to the New York Knicks in six games in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. He's due for a massive raise next season, the first of a five-year, $224 million max contract extension he signed in 2024. But that number will balloon even more if he makes All-NBA, expected to be announced once the conference finals are underway.
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His four-year, $45.6 million rookie contract as the No. 1 overall pick in 2021 is now over, and his designated rookie extension kicks in beginning in the 2025-26 season. Cunningham is the first Pistons draft pick to sign a max rookie extension with the team since Andre Drummond signed it in 2016 for five years and $127 million.
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) walks off the court after 116-113 loss to New York Knicks in the Game 6 of Eastern Conference playoff first round at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, May 1, 2025.
Here's what to know on Cunningham's new deal:
ANALYSIS: Pistons can pounce on reshaped Eastern Conference in 2025-26
Cade Cunningham contract situation with Pistons
If Cunningham is named to any of the three All-NBA teams (five players per each team), his salary will bump from 25% of the 2025-26 salary cap to 30% — bumping the total value of the contract to roughly $269 million, a $45 million increase or $9 million per year on average. (I had Cunningham as a no-brainer pick for All-NBA Second Team on my official ballot.)
If that happens, Cunningham's starting salary next season will increase from $38.6 million to $46.4 million, which would reduce the Pistons' cap space in the 2025 offseason from around $27 million to roughly $19 million.
Either way, the Pistons have enough money and resources to bring back some of their veterans, with Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., Dennis Schröder and Paul Reed all entering unrestricted free agency. It's ultimately a good problem to have, but it will make navigating their cap down the road a little tricker as Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren (this summer) and other young players become eligible for their own extensions.
ANALYSIS: Cade Cunningham is a star but can't do it alone. What can Pistons do to help him?
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Cade Cunningham contract: Pistons set to lose $8 million in cap space
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