Trade Proposal Sends Pistons’ Cade Cunningham To Jazz

One NBA analyst proposed that the Utah Jazz acquire Cade Cunningham from the Detroit Pistons this offseason. 

Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report proposed the following trade idea between the Jazz and Pistons:

Utah Jazz Receive: Cade Cunningham

Detroit Pistons Receive: Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, the No. 10 pick in 2024 draft, a 2025 first-round pick (via CLE), 2027 first-round pick (via LAL; top-4 protected) and a 2027 first-round pick (via MIN)

The Jazz are expected to go “star-hunting” this offseason. Per NBA insider Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Utah will consider trading the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NBA draft, along with additional first-round picks for “star talent.”

Cunningham averaged 22.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.4 blocks for the Pistons this season in 62 games while shooting 44.9% from the field, 35.5% from beyond the arc and 86.9% from the free-throw line. He’ll make $13.9 million next season. 

“This is a massive offer from Utah, but that might be what it takes to get Detroit to listen for more than five seconds on a trade inquiry for Cunningham,” Hughes wrote. “Though the top pick in the 2021 draft hasn’t driven a whole lot of team success so far, it’s hard to pin the Pistons’ struggles on him. Last season, he became one of only eight players in league history aged 22 or younger to average at least 22.0 points, 7.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game.

“Trajan Langdon is taking over the front office in Detroit, and he could look to reorient the roster around players he prefers rather than the ones selected by the previous regime. He wouldn’t be the first newly appointed executive to put his stamp on a team right away. The Pistons wind up with four first-rounders and two players taken inside the top 16 picks in 2023, all in exchange for Cunningham, who’s likely to ink a max extension this summer.

“It would be unusual to see a player with Cunningham’s draft pedigree and production traded before his second contract, but the Jazz’s offer here is no joke.”

Cunningham is eligible to sign a rookie-scale extension this offseason. He has career averages of 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.5 blocks. 

The Pistons had the worst record in the NBA this season. They went only 14-68. 

Meanwhile, the Jazz went 31-51.