Cade Cunningham Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Mathurin, Cunningham, Bickerstaff, Potter

January 4th, 2026 at 9:56pm CST by Eli Cohen

Bennedict Mathurin is expected to miss some time for the Pacers as he works to come back from a right thumb sprain and turf toe, writes Scott Agness of the Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link).

“When we’re down numbers, it becomes more challenging, but we’ve gotten some guys back,” said coach Rick Carlisle before Sunday’s game. “But now Mathurin’s out for a while.”

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports (via Twitter) that Mathurin has been trying to play through the thumb sprain for multiple weeks, but that he needs some time to heal.

Mathurin is averaging a career-high 17.8 points per game for the depleted Pacers, but his numbers have dipped since mid-December, likely in part due to the injury. Over his last 11 games, he’s averaging 13.5 points on .369/.271/.973 shooting splits.

There was no immediate timeline given for his return.

We have more from the Central Division:

Cade Cunningham is playing the best basketball of his career and leading the Pistons to the top seed in the Eastern Conference. One person he credits for helping him take a leap as a player and leader is assistant coach and longtime veteran Jarrett Jack, writes Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. Sankofa writes that upon joining the staff of former head coach Monty Williams, Williams attached Jack to the star point guard. The two do one-on-one work, pregame warmups, and talk on the bench during games together. “He’s always making jokes, always being funny, talking about he could’ve did this or I ain’t that, whatever,” Cunningham said. “It’s cool, man. He just knows how to read the room. That’s the type of stuff that allows the culture to be what it is, people like that. He’s one of the main ones that’s helped build this culture that we got.”
There were added stakes for the Pistons as they got their first road win against the Cavaliers since coach J.B. Bickerstaff came to Detroit from Cleveland, writes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (Twitter link). “I feel like we’ve got to have his back coming into here, because I know they get up to play against J.B. every single time,” said Isaiah Stewart, who started in the place of the injured Jalen Duren and contributed three blocks and two steals in the four-point victory. “So it was important for us to get this win tonight.” Coming into today’s game, the Cavaliers were 4-1 against their old coach.
Micah Potter went from freshly-signed to starting Pacers center in about a week. It’s been a whirlwind, but his previous experience with Team USA has helped him find ways to fit in and be productive, writes Dustin Dopirak of the Indy Star. “The confidence it gave me was like, I belong, right?” Potter said. “I’m not saying I’m going to be a Kevin Durant, a LeBron James, a Tyrese Haliburton, a Steph Curry. I’m not going to be those guys, but I can help those guys. I can find a role to create for those guys whether I’m scoring or not. And that was the thing that gave me the most confidence, and I also hit a couple of shots which was really cool too.” Potter’s first start came on Friday in a loss to the Spurs. He scored 16 points on 4-of-8 from three with six rebounds. On Sunday’s matchup against the Magic, he had 11 points and 10 rebounds in just over 29 minutes. “Just try to do my job as best I can,” he said. “Create for my teammates, whether that’s passing, shooting open shots, setting good screens, anything like that. Just trying to create space for my teammates and play off that.”

Jalen Brunson, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Win Player Of The Month Awards

January 2nd, 2026 at 2:14pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of star point guards and MVP candidates have been named the NBA’s Players of the Month for December, with Jalen Brunson of the Knicks winning the award in the East and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder claiming it in the West, per the league (Twitter link).

Brunson was named Player of the Week twice in December and led the Knicks to an NBA Cup championship. He averaged 30.6 points, 7.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per contest in 13 December outings, posting a strong shooting line of .475/.405/.826 and leading his team to a 10-3 record in the games he played.

Those stats don’t include the NBA Cup final, which doesn’t count toward the regular season, but he was excellent in that game too, racking up 25 points and eight assists as the Knicks toppled the Spurs.

Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, continued to strengthen his case for a second consecutive Most Valuable Player award in 12 December appearances, with averages of 31.4 points, 6.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game, and a scorching-hot .594/.436/.882 shooting line.

Gilgeous-Alexander now ranks second in the NBA in scoring (32.1 PPG), while his Thunder – following a 9-4 December – hold the league’s best record at 29-5.

It’s the third time Brunson has won a Player of the Month award and the fifth time Gilgeous-Alexander has earned the honor. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic were the NBA’s first Players of the Month this season, for games played in October and November.

Cunningham was also nominated for the Eastern Conference award in December, along with Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Raptors forward Brandon Ingram, Hawks forward, Jalen Johnson, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., and Brunson’s teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, according to the NBA (Twitter link).

The other Western Conference nominees were Jokic, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Rockets forward Kevin Durant, Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, Jazz guard Keyonte George, Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, Trail Blazers teammates Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe, Timberwolves teammates Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, and Lakers teammates Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.

Kawhi Leonard, Jaylen Brown Named Players Of Week

December 29th, 2025 at 2:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and Celtics forward Jaylen Brown have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).

Leonard led the Clippers to three wins during the week of December 22-28 while posting averages of 41.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals per contest. The star forward erupted for a career-high 55 points against the Pistons on Sunday.

It’s Leonard’s fourth Player of the Week award as a Clipper and the 10th of his NBA career, but it’s the first time he has earned the honor since the 2023/24 season.

Kevin Durant (Rockets), Keyonte George (Jazz), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) were the other Western Conference nominees.

The Celtics, meanwhile, went 2-1 last week with Brown averaging 32.7 points on 55.9 percent shooting from the field while also grabbing 6.3 rebounds per game.

Boston’s star wing has scored at least 30 points in all nine games he has played this month and has now been named the East’s Player of the Week twice in December — he also claimed the award on Dec. 8. Brown and Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson have traded the award back and forth in recent weeks, with no other Eastern Conference player winning it since Nov. 24.

LaMelo Ball (Hornets), Scottie Barnes (Raptors), Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Josh Giddey (Bulls), Michael Porter Jr. (Nets) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) were all nominated in the East.

Doncic, Antetokounmpo Lead Early Fan Voting For All-Star Game

December 29th, 2025 at 12:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively, in the first returns of fan voting for the All-Star Game, according to the NBA (Twitter link).

Doncic leads all players with 1,249,518 votes. The top five vote-getters from the Western Conference also include Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama.

Joining Antetokounmpo among the top five in the Eastern Conference are Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.

Fans voting represents 50% of the vote to determine the five players from each conference to be named as starters for the All-Star Game, with current NBA players and a media panel accounting for 25% each. This year, All-Stars are being selected without regard to position.

A newly-created, round-robin tournament featuring a USA vs. World format will be held Sunday, Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome, the new home of the Clippers.

Jaren Jackson Jr., Jalen Brunson Named Players Of Week

December 22nd, 2025 at 2:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. and Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson were named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).

This marks the second career Player of the Week award for Jackson, who averaged 27.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 2.7 blocks in 32.7 minutes per game and led Memphis to a 2-1 record during the week of December 15-21.

Jackson recorded a season-high 31 points and five blocks in the Grizzlies’ 121-103 road win last Monday against the Clippers and followed that with 28 points, a season-high 12 rebounds and three blocks in Memphis’ 116-110 road victory on Wednesday against Minnesota.

Brunson racked up 31.3 points, 8.0 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game as the Knicks went 2-1 after their NBA Cup triumph. He had 47 points in the Knicks’ 132-125 win over Miami on Sunday.

It’s the second major individual award for Brunson over the past week. He was also named the MVP of the NBA Cup. He also becomes the first two-time Eastern Conference Player of the Week this season, having also earned the honor on December 1.

Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe (Trail Blazers), Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves), Keyonte George (Jazz), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) were the other nominees for the Western Conference Player of the Week award.

Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Josh Giddey and Nikola Vucevic (Bulls), Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Tyrese Maxey (Sixers) and Derrick White (Celtics) were the other nominees in the East.

Pistons Notes: Bickerstaff, Officiating, Trade Targets, Cunningham

December 19th, 2025 at 8:09am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons had their four-game winning streak snapped on Thursday in Dallas as the Mavericks pulled out a nail-biting 116-114 upset victory in overtime. During his post-game remarks to the media, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff stressed that his team didn’t lose the game solely because of the officiating, but aired out a number of complaints about the referees, with a focus on crew chief John Goble.

As Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes, Bickerstaff never explicitly called out Goble by name. However, he repeatedly cited calls made by the crew chief and told reporters that Goble said to him during the game, “Night by night, this is how our interactions are.”

“So, that says to me that the referee is coming into the game not being objective,” Bickerstaff said. “OK? That same referee, at halftime, I get my technical foul. I don’t say anything to him. I go to grab Cade (Cunningham) to get Cade off the floor. He gives me a technical foul. That’s my job to get my player away from the referee, get us back to halftime so we can have the conversations that we need to have.

“So, the same referee who comes into the game who’s not objective, and then he goes out and makes those calls. (That) same referee, if you take a look at the play where he ejects (Ausar Thompson), he steps towards A.T., right? That’s where the minimal contact happens, where he steps towards him and initiates it.”

Goble told pool reporter Christian Clark of The Athletic after the game that he assessed Bickerstaff with a technical foul for “continuous complaining” and that Thompson was ejected for “aggressively approaching and making contact with an official.”

Bickerstaff also wasn’t happy about the fact that he wasn’t awarded a timeout during the Pistons’ final offensive possession despite the fact that “that same referee” (Goble) was standing next to him.

“You had one guy who wanted to make the game about the referees when that’s not what this should have been,” Bickerstaff said. “This was two teams competing their tails off, playing high-level basketball. But anybody who comes into the game and says ‘night by night,’ he clearly has an unobjective point of view.”

Here’s more on the Pistons:

In a subscriber-only story for The Detroit Free Press, Omari Sankofa II identifies three-point shooting, power forward depth, and a second scorer to complement Cunningham as three areas the Pistons should be focusing on as the trade deadline approaches. Sankofa also singles out a few players who could be targeted in trades to address those needs, including Lauri Markkanen, Sam Hauser, and Dorian Finney-Smith.
Cunningham just turned 24 years old in September, but he has already emerged as the Pistons’ leader. Hunter Patterson of The Athletic traces Cunningham’s desire to lead back to his high school days, when he was the youngest player on his varsity team and felt like the “odd man out” among players who didn’t want him there. “Me and those guys have come to terms, and we’re all good now. But it was something that made me grow a lot,” Cunningham explained. “… I learned how to lead from that, learned how to make people feel how I wanted to be made to feel at that time. I think that was one of the first moments where I was like, ‘I don’t like how this type of leadership is, and I want to be better whenever I have that opportunity to be the best player on the team.’ So I always revert back to that team whenever I’m thinking about how a leader was (that) I didn’t like.”
After finishing seventh in MVP voting a year ago, Cunningham has career-high averages of 27.2 points, 9.2 assists, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game so far this season. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said prior to Thursday’s game that the Pistons guard deserves to be an even bigger part of the MVP conversation this season. “When you look at the pace, his speed and his ability to control the game not just from scoring but passing,” Kidd said (Twitter link via Sankofa). “… He understands when it’s time to go. He should be mentioned with the MVPs, if not MVP right now, because of the high level he’s playing.”

Central Notes: Cunningham, Nesmith, Pacers, Bucks

December 8th, 2025 at 12:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It was only two seasons ago that the Pistons lost 28 games in a row and wound up with the league’s worst record. Many of the players from that squad now find themselves on the top team in the Eastern Conference.

Cade Cunningham said the team’s previous futility is a constant motivator.

“So many long car rides after the games and stuff, long nights thinking about what could’ve happened different, stuff like that,” Cunningham told The Detroit Free Press’ Omari Sankofa II (subscription required). “That stuff lives with you. I carry it on the court all the time. I know my teammates carry it. (Isaiah Stewart) has had a lot of experiences in this league that he carries with him every time he plays. I think we’re all better for it.

“It’s the small things that make it up, and we’ve been through the losing end of those things and now, every night, we’re just trying to find ways to come out on top,” he added. “It’s just the details and (it’s) still early. We’re not satisfied or content with where we’re at right now. We’re just trying to keep on stacking, see where it takes us.”

Entering Saturday’s game, each of Detroit’s previous seven matchups had been decided by six points or less. The Pistons were 4-3 during that stretch.

“It’s crazy this year,” Cunningham said. “The difference in those plays is so small, you know? A loose ball with a minute and a half left in the fourth quarter, this year we’re coming up with it. In the past we don’t come up with it. We lose those games. This year we had a game [against Orlando] where we gave up a few offensive rebounds at the end, we lose that game. It’s the little plays that make up the outcomes. I think we’re just getting better at finding those moments and taking advantage more.”

We have more from the Central Division:

Pacers wing Aaron Nesmith has been out since Nov. 13 with a left knee MCL sprain. He’s not close to coming back, according to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “There’s no timetable,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “… It’s gonna be a while. Hopefully not too long. It would be great if he could be back playing some time this month. He’s making great progress with no setbacks. Time will tell, but I don’t have any set timetable for you.” Quenton Jackson, who has been out with a right hamstring strain since November 3, could return later this week. Second-round pick Kam Jones, sidelined since suffering a back injury in training camp, is ramping up his conditioning. Carlisle said Jones’ first games will most likely be with the Noblesville Boom, the Pacers’ G League affiliate.
Carlisle has been employing a center by committee approach with Jay Huff, Isaiah Jackson, and Tony Bradley sharing minutes. The Pacers were forced to improvise when Myles Turner left in free agency, and Carlisle has been pleased with the results in recent games. “A lot of progress,” he told Dopirak. “Doesn’t matter who starts. It’s a tag-team thing, it’s a brotherhood thing. Those guys’ job is to hold down the fort. Tony is included in that too. It’s important that the spirit is we just find a way to get it done.”
Bucks coach Doc Rivers gave his team two days off after playing back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday. His banged-up squad will have two big practice days on Tuesday and Wednesday before Thursday’s game against the Celtics, according to The Athletic’s Eric Nehm. “I think it’s a very pivotal time for us,” forward Kyle Kuzma said. “It’s sink or swim. We have to treat it like that.”

Pistons Notes: Sasser, Robinson, Cade, Duren, More

December 5th, 2025 at 4:16pm CST by Rory Maher

Third-year guard Marcus Sasser could make his season debut for the Pistons on Friday, having been listed as questionable to suit up against Portland, tweets Hunter Patterson of The Athletic.

Sasser, who starred in college at Houston prior to being selected 25th overall in the 2023 draft, missed the first 22 games of 2025/26 after sustaining a right hip impingement during the preseason. He was assigned to the G League to practice on Sunday and head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the 25-year-old was doing 3-on-3 scrimmages on Monday.

Starting wing Duncan Robinson may play tonight as well — he’s also questionable after missing the past two games with a right ankle sprain, Patterson notes.

We have more from Detroit:

In a feature story for The Athletic, Patterson takes a look at the growing bond between All-NBA point guard Cade Cunningham and rising young center Jalen Duren, a candidate to make his first All-Star appearance following a strong start to the season. As Patterson writes, Duren has made a conscious effort to spent at least a few weeks with Cunningham each of the past two offseasons — over the summer, they went on trips to Colorado and Rome, Italy. Both players believe the time spent together in the offseason has improved their on-court chemistry in addition to strengthening their off-court connection. “(These trips) have just tied into us sticking together, us having each other’s backs,” Cunningham said. “And pushing each other to be great. We can only help each other get better. We can only help each other get to that point. So, (it’s) really just about us being brothers and having each other’s backs. I think that’s all you can ask for, and we’ll take care of the rest on the court.”
Bickerstaff also spent two weeks with Duren over the summer, according to Vincent Goodwill of ESPN, who writes that the Pistons’ coach challenged the 22-year-old big man to “improve his on-ball skills” and be in peak condition entering his fourth season. Duren appreciated Bickerstaff’s hands-on approach to his development. “That was the first time since I’ve been in the NBA where that happened,” Duren said. “I don’t know if he knows how much that meant to me, [but] that showed me how much he cared about me.”
Goodwill’s story, which features several more interesting quotes, is centered on the Pistons going from the worst record in the NBA (14-68) two years ago to currently holding the best mark (17-5) in the Eastern Conference. While head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon said the front office will be “opportunistic” if the right trade opportunity presents itself, he also said he’s not aggressively seeking win-now help. “I’m always pushing my group, whether it’s from an analytics or personnel standpoint, on how can we get better? Can that happen internally? Or do we need to do something, add something, to get better? There’s obviously [the risk of] what those things cost and how they can hamper your future,” Langdon said, per Goodwill.

Nikola Jokic, Cade Cunningham Earn Player Of The Month Honors

December 2nd, 2025 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Pistons guard Cade Cunningham are the NBA’s Players of the Month for October/November, earning the honor for the Western and Eastern Conference, respectively, per an announcement from the league (Twitter link).

It’s the ninth time that Jokic has won a Player of the Month award over the course of his 11-year career. He earned it in this case with a superlative start to the season that saw him comfortably average a triple-double – 28.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 10.9 assists per game – while leading Denver to a 14-5 record.

Jokic’s shooting percentages were arguably even more remarkable than his per-game averages, as he shot 63.7% from the field and converted 45.3% of his three-point attempts.

The Nuggets star came out on top of a competitive field that included nominees like fellow MVP candidates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder and Luka Doncic of the Lakers. Clippers guard James Harden, Rockets center Alperen Sengun, Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, Lakers guard Austin Reaves, and Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards were also nominated for Player of the Month in the West, according to the NBA (Twitter link).

In the East, meanwhile, Cunningham’s Pistons have been one of the most pleasant surprises of the season’s first six weeks. While Detroit was viewed as a strong playoff contender, few NBA observers expected the team to win 16 of its first 20 games and sit atop the Eastern Conference at the end of November.

Cunningham was the driving force behind the Pistons’ hot start, averaging 28.8 points, 9.4 assists, and 6.4 rebounds in 36.8 minutes per game across 17 outings, while shooting 45.6% from the floor and 81.5% from the free throw line.

Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, Bulls guard Josh Giddey, Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Heat guard Norman Powell, Magic forward Franz Wagner, and Knicks teammates Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns were also nominated for Eastern Conference Player of the Month, which Cunningham won for the first time in his career.

Central Notes: Atkinson, Antetokounmpo, Turner, Cunningham

November 19th, 2025 at 9:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

Cavaliers’ head coach Kenny Atkinson had a strong reaction to the news that Cleveland had been fined $100K for violating the league’s player participation policy, Chris Fedor writes for Cleveland.com.

“I think my number one job is to continue to protect the health of our players,” Atkinson said. “So [it’s] kind of that simple. I think that Miami game, we came home at 3:30 in the morning, so you have to anticipate sometimes too, what the schedule looks like. We have those discussions, we make decisions. I’ll rock with that decision.”

The player participation policy was changed prior to the 2023/24 season in an attempt to address what the NBA felt was an issue of star players resting despite being otherwise healthy. Stars under the policy are defined as players who have made an All-Star or All-NBA game within the past three years.

The Cavaliers violated the policy last Wednesday by resting both Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, though Atkinson disagrees with the message the NBA’s fine sends.

“We win that game too,” Atkinson said. “So, to me, you throw that on top of it and it’s like, wait a second, are you discrediting the guys that played that night? Is that a weird way to look at it? We’re in a competitive environment here. So, on top of it, we helped develop guys and we won the game and then we get penalized for it.”

Atkinson said that while he understands the policy, he doesn’t plan to change his approach moving forward.

We have more from around the Central Division:

The Bucks have struggled to maintain leads with Giannis Antetokounmpo off the floor, a trend that will be put to the test with the news that the star forward will miss at least the next week or two, writes Eric Nehm for The Athletic. Nehm notes that the Bucks this season have outscored opponents by 7.6 points per 100 possessions with Antetokounmpo on the floor, but have been outscored by 12.8 points per 100 possessions when he’s not playing. According to Nehm, the team will have to lean heavily on early-season breakout guard Ryan Rollins, who has led Milwaukee in scoring in games Antetokounmpo has missed. “It doesn’t look good right now,” coach Doc Rivers said. “We got [Kevin Porter Jr.] out and Giannis out. That’s not great for our team, but we’re either going to find somebody or find something to run that will pay dividends later, and that’s the stretch we’re about to go through.”
The news of Antetokounmpo’s injury is also a blow to the budding chemistry between the Bucks‘ newly formed partnership between the two-time MVP and Myles Turner. Grant Afseth of RG.org writes that the addition of Turner has given the Bucks a chance to bridge the past iterations of the team to its future. That connection started on the court, but extends to how they support each other in terms of the mental side of the game, which was evident when the team visited Indiana for the first time following Turner’s Pacers exit. “To be able to come here in Indiana, all-time leading block leader, to be booed… he might not say it, but it kind of hurt,” Antetokounmpo said. “We are here to pick him up, tell him how much we love him and respect him. We understand how much he gave for the team Indiana and how much he’s willing to give for Milwaukee.”
As the Pistons have gotten off to one of the hottest starts in the league, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been particularly impressed by star Cade Cunningham‘s demeanor and relationships with his teammates, regardless of whether the team is having success or piling up losses like it did earlier in his career, writes The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson. “He could’ve been pissed off. He could’ve been frustrated. He could’ve blamed everybody else, but never once did you hear him do that. The only thing he ever did was put his head down, go to work and accept responsibility,” Bickerstaff said. “I marvel at a guy that age, who is able to handle his teammates the way he does. (He’s) a guy who very easily could separate himself from the group, but he never does. He’s always the one pulling people together. He doesn’t want to be treated any differently. He can eat without taking food off your plate. There’s nothing better than that from your superstar.”