Cade Cunningham on Pistons start: ‘We’re where we’re supposed to be’
Cade Cunningham on his dunk, Jalen Duren’s defense and being 8-2 just 2 years after a disastrous season, following win in Philadelphia, Nov. 9, 2025.
The Detroit Pistons are in first place in the Eastern Conference, but that doesn’t stop trade speculation. In fact, it may increase it.
After the Dallas Mavericks fired notorious general manager Nico Harrison on Tuesday in large part for his decision to trade Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, Anthony Davis is the latest superstar to find himself on the trade rumor mill.
Harrison attached himself at the hip to Davis when he took the huge swing in trading Dončić last winter, saying Davis was the type of defense-first player the Mavericks wanted to build around. With Harrison gone, could Davis be on the move?
It seems possible, as the Mavericks are trending down in a loaded Western Conference and have a gluttony of big men in the front court. Davis has played in just 14 games with the Mavericks since being traded there last season as he has battled through another round of injuries, including just 5 of 11 possible games to start the season.
On Wednesday, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont has “requested medical data indicating that Anthony Davis is not at risk of aggravating his left calf strain” before he plays again, potentially delaying his return briefly.
But could the Pistons be a potential landing spot for Davis once he’s healthy? They have the young players and picks to do it, but Davis might not be the player to go all-in on, according to some NBA experts.
On his recent podcast, The Ringer’s Zach Lowe discussed the Pistons amongst the teams who could potentially land Davis in another blockbuster deal for the 10-time All-Star, but he didn’t think Davis was a great fit in Detroit since the Pistons already have two good centers in Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart.
“Other team that I keep seeing suggested, and this is one I have to say I don’t like and I almost don’t understand why they’re being so often suggested for it already, is Detroit,” Zach Lowe said. “I’ve got Jalen Duren, I’ve got Isaiah Stewart, I have the No. 2 or 3 defense in the NBA already and the best rim protection in the NBA, I have negative shooting around Cade Cunningham for the most part, I just don’t, don’t love this idea that this is the win-now trade.
“Do they have the assets for a win-now trade? Sure, I think (Lauri) Markkanen is a much better fit there than Anthony Davis, to the point if I’m Detroit, this one doesn’t interest me.”
Although Lowe doesn’t see Davis as a match for the Pistons, they still made the list of teams who could trade for Davis in The Ringer’s “Five Anthony Davis Trades That Might Be Crazy Enough to Work,” story.
The pitch?
The Pistons send Jaden Ivey, Tobias Harris, Ron Holland, and Isaiah Stewart to the Mavericks in return for Davis and Klay Thompson.
It would be a steep price to pay, but would give the Pistons some championship pedigree they just don’t have on their current roster.
“He isn’t worth going all in for (sorry, Nico), but can the Pistons pry him away for a more modest price?” The Ringer’s Matt Dollinger asked. “Would they even need to give up a draft pick? Would they be willing to trade some of their depth for a top-shelf talent? Or is the mojo so good—9-2 (entering Wednesday) and in first place in the East!—that it would feel reckless to mess with anything? These are the debates. But it’s hard not to get carried away dreaming of a Cade-AD-Ausar-Duren core. That kind of splash would put the rest of the conference on notice.”
Andrew Birkle is an assistant sports editor for the Free Press. Contact him via email at abirkle@freepress.com.
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