It's been a quiet offseason for the Detroit Pistons after a season where they exceeded many expectations by finishing first in the Eastern Conference and coming within a game of the conference finals. If they want to contend again in 2026-27, in an increasingly competitive East where teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat made significant changes, they'll have to do so without major upgrades themselves. And potentially without center Jalen Duren, who's embroiled in a contract dispute with the team. One person who might be able to help attract more talent to Detroit is All-NBA guard Cade Cunningham, who carries the biggest burden if the roster takes a step back. He told FTW and USA TODAY Sports it's easy to have those conversations with other players, but disputed a recent ESPN report about his involvement in recruiting Austin Reaves and potentially others.
"I don't know where that report came from. I never told anybody that I talked to XYZ. I wouldn't say that report was all the way true either," Cunningham said. "But definitely, I'm all about the Pistons. I want the Pistons to be at the highest level possible. If there's somebody that is available or wants to play for the Pistons that I could see that happening and feel like it's a good fit, it's easy to talk to them about that. I don't get into all the [tampering]. I just let our staff do their job. I think other players know the type of game that I want to play, the type of game that the Pistons play. And the guys that want to be a part of that will be a part of that."
ESPN also said the Pistons were interested in Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard, all players still under contract with their current teams. One player not mentioned who was a free agent is LeBron James, who ultimately signed with Philadelphia. Detroit wasn't among the teams rumored to be in consideration for James, and Cunningham said he didn't reach out to gauge his interest. "I didn't give LeBron a call. I don't think he would've cared to hear what I had to say," Cunningham said. "But he's doing what he wants to do at this point and I'm not mad at that. Good for him." This article originally appeared on For The Win: Cade Cunningham calls report of him recruiting other NBA stars 'not completely true'