It always felt somewhat inevitable. Then, well, it felt much less certain.
Nineteen-year-old Cade Cunningham was America’s darling for the entirety of the NBA pre-draft process. The 6-foot-8 silky smooth scorer with the vision of an owl at night has long been the poster boy of a 2021 draft class that is stocked with serious talent at the top. It would have been surprising if his name wasn’t called first on Thursday night in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
“I know how much responsibility comes with being the No. 1 pick,” said Cunningham, who had a pair of Cartier “Buffs,” a Detroit culture staple, stashed in his suit jack. “I know how much responsibility the city will put on the guy they took No. 1. I’m more than excited to take on those tasks and try to deliver to the city of Detroit.”
As of recent days, though, there was a growing belief that Detroit would trade the No. 1 pick, moving back to grab guard Jalen Green or big Evan Mobley. Internal discussions on what to do went up to the final day, with the Pistons organization gathering one final time to make a decision.
Cunningham’s ceiling is like that of a church. It rises and never seems to stop. The NBA covets 6-foot-8 ballhandlers who can initiate the offense or play off the ball. The NBA covets 3-point shooting, which Cunningham showcased plenty of during his lone season at Oklahoma State. He can defend. The cherry on top, as general manager Troy Weaver learned when he turned over every stone during the process, is that Cunningham is a great young man with a good head on his shoulders. The Pistons are not only trying to rise out of the abyss and morph into a consistent winner, but they’re trying to do so with high-character players.
