Did Cade Cunningham throw a hint for a trade? Looking closer at viral video of him nodding to a fan for trade

On Monday, a video went viral of Detroit Pistons star guard Cade Cunningham seemingly agreeing with a fan that he needs to be traded. However, fans on social media were quick to debunk the clip.

Cunningham has been the leading scorer for Detroit this season, averaging 22.8 points per game through 37 games. Unfortunately for the 22-year-old, his production hasn’t translated to wins, though, as the Pistons have a league-worst 6-40 record.

Detroit’s struggles have led numerous fans to assert that Cunningham is wasting his potential with the franchise. Thus, many were quick to believe the viral clip of him seemingly confirming that he would like to be traded.

In the video, the fan yells at Cunningham, “Hey, Cade, the Pistons need to trade you, bro.” He then nods his head in agreement, with the fan saying, “Bro shook his head, that’s crazy.”

However, several fans later pointed out that the video is doctored and includes a voiceover.

“It’s a voiceover, am I the only one with a brain?” one fan said.

“This voiceover is elite,” another said.

So, it looks like Pistons fans don’t have anything to worry about yet regarding Cunningham’s future. Nonetheless, Detroit will likely need to show some improvement in the coming seasons if the organization hopes to keep him around long-term.

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Pistons unwilling to listen to trade offers for Cade Cunningham

Regardless of whether Cade Cunningham is content in Detroit, it appears that the Pistons have no interest in listening to trade offers for him.

Per The Athletic's James L. Edwards III, the Pistons view Cunningham and fellow prospects Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren “as their blue-chip pieces moving forward.” Thus, they plan to keep all four players at all costs.

Detroit invested its 2021 No. 1 pick in Cunningham in what proved to be a stacked draft class. The 22-year-old has since improved his scoring average in each of his first three seasons.

In addition to averaging 22.8 ppg, Cunningham is averaging 4.1 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.9 3-pointers per game on 44.8% shooting this season.

So, given his age, upside and all-around production, most would agree that it makes sense that Detroit plans to hold on to him.

The Pistons project to have another top pick in the 2024 NBA draft. If they can hit on that pick and find Cunningham a potential co-star, they should be able to make a substantial leap next season. However, even if they don’t, the team still has plenty of room for improvement via internal development.

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