Pistons Had Been Weighing Cade Cunningham’s Season-Ending Surgery for Weeks

Former No. 1 overall draft pick Cade Cunningham is undergoing season-ending surgery on a left shin injury, a decision he and the Pistons had been weighing for weeks, per Mike Curtis of the Detroit News.

It was revealed Cunningham would undergo the surgery on Monday, as Curtis confirmed. It is believed he suffered a hairline fracture to the shin, Curtis added.

Needless to say, it’s a big blow to the Pistons, who are trying to develop talent and build, with Cunningham the franchise’s new face.

Cunningham, 21, is 6-foot-6 and suffered the injury in a game against the Celtics on Nov. 9. He played 24 minutes before being forced to exit, and hasn’t played or even practiced since.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Cunningham has come around nicely this season, averaging 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists, shooting 42 percent from the field, in 12 appearances.

As a rookie, he averaged 17.4 points, 5.6 assists, and 5.5 rebounds, coming on strong in the season’s second half.