Cade Cunningham's future in the NBA is looking brighter than ever. The Detroit Pistons star is already considered one of the best players in the league, and a recent projection by Bleacher Report suggests he could be one of the top players in the NBA by 2030.
What happened?
In a feature published on Monday, Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report predicted the 30 best NBA players in 2030. Cade Cunningham, who will be 28 years old at the time, was named the No. 7 best player in the NBA.
Why it matters for Cade Cunningham
Cunningham's talent and work ethic have already taken him far in his young career. During the 2025-26 season, he appeared in 64 regular-season games and averaged 23.9 points, 9.9 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per contest. Those are strong numbers, but Bailey believes Cunningham has room for improvement.
"He has some very obvious areas for improvement," Bailey states in the piece. "Over the next four years, he can absolutely figure out how to take a little better care of the ball and more consistently hit from the outside. Fine-tuning that, while maintaining his volume playmaking could have Cunningham in some pretty heated MVP discussions."
What comes next?
Cunningham's performance in the 2026 NBA playoffs was a testament to his talent. Over 14 games, he averaged 28.1 points, 7.5 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game, according to StatMuse. What's mind-blowing, though, is that he averaged 41 minutes per game. That's a lot of time on the court. If the Pistons can get him some help and bring those minutes down a touch, the extra rest could quickly help improve his game and skyrocket him to elite status.
Cunningham's future is looking bright, and it's exciting to think about what he could achieve in the next few years. With his talent and work ethic, the possibilities are endless.
The road to MVP discussions
Cunningham's path to MVP discussions is not a straightforward one. He will need to continue to improve his game and stay healthy. But with his current trajectory, it's hard to imagine him not being in the running for the award in the future.
The Pistons will need to surround Cunningham with a strong supporting cast to help him reach his full potential. With the right team around him, there's no reason to think that Cunningham can't become one of the top players in the league.
Conclusion is not needed
Cunningham's future is looking bright, and it's exciting to think about what he could achieve in the next few years. With his talent and work ethic, the possibilities are endless.