Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham will undergo season-ending surgery on his left shin, a league source confirmed to The Athletic on Monday. ESPN was first to report the news. Here’s what you need to know:
- Cunningham — the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft — has not played since Nov. 9 due to a stress fracture in his left shin.
- League sources told The Athletic last month that the lingering issue dates back to last season but began to flare up again during this offseason.
- The 21-year-old averaged 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 12 games this season.
What this means for the Pistons’ development
Now that Cunningham is out for the season, which always appeared to be the likely route, there is now an official blip in the rebuilding Pistons’ team development. The former No. 1 pick is the centerpiece of a young team, and while individuals can and will still further develop, the team dynamic and building chemistry has been pushed back a year. — Edwards
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Who will have to step up for Detroit?
The absence of Cunningham for the season puts a lot on the plates of rookie Jaden Ivey and third-year guard Killian Hayes, both of whom have been starting since Cunningham went down in November.
For Hayes, this recent push into the starting lineup has paid dividends. He is playing the best basketball of his career and has been an efficient jump shooter in recent weeks. Ivey, on the other hand, has struggled since Cunningham exited the lineup but has continued to show flashes as an athletic guard with great upside. — Edwards
Required reading
- Pistons trade scenarios: What I’m hearing about Nerlens Noel, Bojan Bogdanović and more
- Pistons mailbag: What if Detroit gets Victor Wembanyama, Cade Cunningham’s decision and more
- Jaden Ivey begins a sink-or-swim development week with Cade Cunningham injured
- The Pistons’ Cade Cunningham and the creation — and ‘visualization’ — of a leader
(Photo: Tom Horak / USA Today)