Pistons, Cunningham talking 5-year max extension

The Detroit Pistons and Cade Cunningham are discussing a five-year, $226 million maximum rookie extension that would be the richest contract in franchise history, league sources confirmed to The Athletic on Sunday.

The deal is not finalized and could take time to iron out the details, but both sides are optimistic something will get done in the near future. Cunningham, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, has been one of the few bright spots for an organization that has spent the last few years in the gutter.

The 22-year-old guard missed all but 12 games due to a shin injury and surgery but returned in his third year to improve immensely across the board despite playing on a 14-win team that wasn’t necessarily suited to his strengths.

Cunningham averaged 22.7 points, 7.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game while upping his field-goal percentage to 45 percent and 3-point percentage to 35 percent on high volume. Those numbers were on par with the Orlando Magic’s Paolo Banchero, who was named an All-Star.

Cunningham proved he is worth building around for the future with his play this past season and the leadership he’s shown despite playing in a struggling, rebuilding situation.

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