Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons were the biggest Cinderella story for the 2024-25 NBA regular season. Tripling their win total from the prior season, where they had an NBA record worst 28 straight losses, and earned a top-six seed.
Cunningham's performance put him on the trajectory of becoming one of the future stars in the league. He averaged 26.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 9.1 assists, and shot 46.9 percent from the floor. The Pistons' second-best player, Jade Ivey, played 30 games, and yet they still finished with a 44-38 record.
His season is All-NBA worthy, and he will almost certainly make one of the All-NBA teams when it is announced Friday, May 23, giving him a bigger extension. In a breakdown for Hoops Rumors, Luke Adams explains that Cunningham's maximum extension for next season will jump from 25 percent of the cap to 30 percent of the cap.
A worthy payday, but just how much will he make and what's next Detroit?
How much will Cade Cunningham make next season?
As it currently stands, his five-year, $224 million extension kicks in at the start of the next season, after making $13 million this season. If he makes an All-NBA team, regardless if it's third, second, or first team, that $224 million jumps up to $269 million over the next five years.
His salary would increase around $9 million per year, but it would not affect Detroit financially at all. They currently have $127 million under contract for next season, with a majority of their core intact. This is $68.5 million under the $195.5 million threshold for the first apron of the luxury tax. An extra nine million doesn't hurt them in cap flexibility when Cunningham makes an All-NBA team.
Detroit has a few options in rounding out the roster. Dennis Schroder, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Sixth Man of the Year finalist, Malik Beasley, are unrestricted free agents who were important in turning around the franchise. They'll bring back Beasley due to him embracing the culture of Detroit, but they have room to get a big free agent.
Jaden Ivey broke his left fibula earlier in the season and missed the rest of the season. He was having a career year where he averaged 17.6 points on .460/.409/.733 shooting splits. His development will decide a lot of Detroit's future decisions. They'll run it back with the same roster, in hopes Ivey is the co-star that Cunningham needs and will extend him.
With no All-Star caliber free agent in the market, Ivey is the Pistons offseason "addition." Him, Cunningham and Jalen Duren are the foundation of this Pistons team, and Ivey's development will determine how far they'll go.