Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons have agreed on a five-year contract extension worth at least $224 million, two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The deal could reach nearly $270 million if Cunningham becomes eligible for a supermax extension, according to the two people who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team had yet to announce the agreement.
ESPN was first to report the agreement, which starts with the 2025-26 season.
Detroit drafted Cunningham No. 1 overall in 2021, and the former Oklahoma State star has had individual success amid hard times for a three-time NBA-championship winning franchise.
The 6-foot-6 point guard has averaged 20 points, 6.5 assists and five rebounds in his career, which included an injury-shortened second season.
The Pistons clearly are including Cunningham in their next attempt at rebuilding, an effort led by new president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon and coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
After finishing with the league’s worst record for the second straight year, Detroit fired general manager Troy Weaver following a four-year run of futility and coach Monty Williams after only one season.
Langdon has been busy, aiming to surround Cunningham with outside shooters as part of a desperately needed influx of talent.
He signed former Pistons forward Tobias Harris to a two-year, $52 million deal, acquired Tim Hardaway Jr. from Dallas in a trade, extended a qualifying offer to Simone Fontecchio and drafted Ron Holland of the G League Ignite with the fifth pick overall.
The Pistons haven’t won a playoff game since 2008, when they appeared in the Eastern Conference finals for the sixth straight year, and have been the last-place team in the Central Division the past four seasons.
Cunningham, who is from Arlington, Texas, has done his part by producing in two of his three years.
In his second season, he was limited to 12 games because of a stress fracture in his left leg. He bounced back from the injury well enough to average 22.7 points and 7.5 rebounds last season while grabbing 4.3 rebounds per game.
Cunningham was unanimously voted to the 2022 NBA All-Rookie first team after averaging 17.4 points, 5.6 assists and 5.5 rebounds.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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