Cade Cunningham has been one of the standout players of this NBA season, establishing himself as one of the league’s stars. His season stats speak for themselves: 24.5 points, 9.9 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game. He’s also the NBA’s second-best playmaker, just behind Nikola Jokic.
His impact has been felt throughout the team. After a long, rough patch, the Detroit Pistons made their return to the playoffs last season. Right now, they’re among the league’s elite, leading the Eastern Conference with 49 wins and 19 losses - a position they seemed poised to hold through the end of the regular season.
But now, it looks like they’ll have to do without their leader. Well-known insider Shams Charania has reported that Cade Cunningham will be forced to sit out several matches.
"Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham has been diagnosed with a collapsed lung and is expected to miss an extended period of time, sources tell ESPN," Charania wrote on X.
The insider added that the length of his absence is still uncertain. The Pistons remain hopeful they’ll have their star back by April 18th, the start of the playoffs, but nothing is guaranteed.