Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham will be sidelined for several weeks.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Cunningham has been diagnosed with a collapsed lung and will miss an extended period of time.
On Thursday, the Pistons announced that “Cunningham has a left lung pneumothorax and will be reevaluated in two weeks.” He stands to miss at least eight games.
The injury appeared to happen after he dove for a loose ball and collided with Wizards guard Tre Johnson with 7:44 left in the first quarter. He checked out 1:04 later after not being able to overcome the discomfort.
Per NBA.com, “Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff is expected to address Cunningham’s injury before tonight’s game in Washington.”
CUNNINGHAM IS HAVING AN MVP-CALIBER SEASON
This season, Cunningham has solidified his status as a cornerstone of the Pistons, averaging 24.5 points, 9.9 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game. He’s earned back-to-back NBA All-Star selections in 2025 and 2026 and an All-NBA Third Team honor in 2025. Since being drafted first overall in 2021, he has become one of the league’s elite playmakers. He led the NBA in total assists during the 2025–26 season and recently surpassed Tayshaun Prince to move into 9th place on the Pistons’ all-time assists leaderboard. His individual brilliance is matched by his impact on winning; he has been a central figure in Detroit’s dramatic turnaround, leading the team to the top of the Eastern Conference in 2026 while firmly entering the MVP conversation before his injury.
Cunningham has played in 61 games this season. A player must appear in 65 games to qualify for major postseason awards such as the Kia MVP and the All-NBA teams.
Currently, the Pistons are 49-19 and have a 3.5-game lead over the Boston Celtics for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Also, the Pistons have 14 games left.
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