Several teams and their respective stars pitched LeBron James this summer during free agency. The future Hall of Famer ultimately signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal, but one Eastern Conference MVP candidate revealed he did not attempt to recruit James this offseason.
Cade Cunningham Reveals He Did Not Give a Pitch to LeBron James
The Detroit Pistons earned the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference last season with a 60-22 record. However, they came up short in the 2026 playoffs after a tightly fought seven-game series with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round.
Cade Cunningham made his second All-Star team, finished top five in MVP voting, and earned First Team All-NBA honors.
The Pistons need more shot creation, 3-point shooting, and ball-handling alongside Cunningham to take another jump in 2026-27, but the star guard did not reach out to James about a possible team-up in Detroit. He spoke about this stance in an interview with “Sports Seriously.”
“I didn’t give LeBron a call … I don’t think he would have cared to hear what I had to say about it. He’s doing what he wants to do at this point. I’m not mad at that. It is what it is, so good for him,” said Cunningham.
The 24-year-old acknowledged that James had made his decision based solely on his preferences. The 22-time All-Star made winning a championship his top priority this summer and thinks his best shot at doing so comes in Philadelphia.
However, Cunningham does not care about James’ perspective. He is solely focused on working on his game each summer and on putting the Pistons in the best possible position to contend for a title.
James would have given Detroit valuable ball-handling, playmaking, and veteran leadership. His ability to run the offense would take much-needed pressure off Cunningham, keeping opponents away from double-teaming the Pistons’ star guard.
However, the Pistons struggled with their 3-point shooting last season, and James’ questionable outside shot would not space the floor.
Cunningham Leaves Door Open to Pursuing Other Stars
Cunningham did not recruit James this summer, but that does not mean he would hesitate to bring star players to Detroit.
“I’m all about the Pistons. I want the Pistons to be at the highest level possible, and if there’s somebody available that wants to play for the Pistons … if I feel like it’s a good fit, It’s easy to talk to them,” Cunningham spoke.
Detroit’s front office re-tooled the roster this summer, adding John Collins, Isaiah Joe, Taurean Prince, and Gary Harris.
The Pistons lost Tobias Harris, Isaiah Stewart, and Caris LeVert, but they are counting on internal leaps from Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland, and Jalen Duren to take them to the next level alongside Cunningham.
