Pistons’ Cade Cunningham Sidelined Indefinitely With Collapsed Lung
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Cade Cunningham has been diagnosed with a collapsed lung and is expected to be out for an extended stretch, Shams Charania of ESPN reported on X on Tuesday.
The Detroit guard left Tuesday’s victory over the Washington Wizards after experiencing what the team initially called back spasms. He was later ruled out of Thursday’s rematch with a listed left back contusion, but further evaluation revealed the lung issue.
Cunningham, 24, is a two-time All-Star and centerpiece of a 49-19 Pistons team that holds a 3.5-game edge over the second-place Boston Celtics for the Eastern Conference’s top seed. Detroit does not need him back to secure playoff positioning, yet a lengthy absence could affect its postseason outlook. A six-week recovery — similar to CJ McCollum’s 18-game layoff for the same condition in 2021 — would keep Cunningham out until near the end of the first round.
McCollum’s second collapsed lung in 2023 required about three and a half weeks and 12 games on the sideline. No timetable has been announced for Cunningham, and the team has not commented publicly.
Cunningham has appeared in 60 games this season. He must play in at least five more to reach the 65-game threshold for MVP, All-NBA and other major awards eligibility.
Without their primary ball-handler, the Pistons are expected to increase responsibilities for Marcus Sasser, Daniss Jenkins and Caris LeVert. Detroit owns a +2.7 net rating when Cunningham is off the floor, compared with +10.9 during his 2,096 minutes.
Source: Hoops Rumors
