Woj: Cade Cunningham Will Only Visit Pistons After DET Wins Draft’s No. 1 Pick

Brody Schmidt/Associated Press

Projected No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham will only visit the Detroit Pistons ahead of the 2021 NBA Draft after the franchise won Tuesday’s draft lottery, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Cunningham is coming off a stellar freshman season at Oklahoma State where the guard averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 43.8 percent from the field. He’s listed as the best player available in the draft by both B/R’s Jonathan Wasserman and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic. 

Cunningham was one of a number of top prospects to skip this week’s draft combine in Chicago as he continues to prep behind closed doors. Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner and Chris Duarte also decided to forgo the combine despite scouts pegging them as likely lottery picks.

At 6’8″, 220 pounds, Cunningham can be a franchise-changing selection for a Detroit club that hasn’t made the postseason since 2019. Each of the Pistons’ past three playoff runs ended in first-round sweeps (Milwaukee Bucks in 2019, Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, Cleveland in 2009).

The Pistons only have two No. 1 overall selections in team history, having picked Jimmy Walker out of Providence in 1967 and Bob Lanier of St. Bonaventure in 1970. The club has picked No. 2 overall on six occasions, most recently taking Darko Milicic in 2003. 

Assuming the interviews and predraft process go well for both Cunningham and Detroit, the Texas native would highlight a rebuilding roster already featuring potential stars in Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey, Sekou Doumbouya and Josh Jackson.