Detroit Pistons (2021–present) All-Rookie honors (2021–2022) Cunningham was drafted with the
first overall pick of the
2021 NBA draft by the
Detroit Pistons. He missed part of training camp, all of preseason, and five of Detroit's first six regular-season games due to an ankle injury. In his NBA debut on October 30, Cunningham had two points, two assists, and seven rebounds in 18 minutes in a 110–103 win over the
Orlando Magic. His two points were the fewest scored in a No. 1 pick's NBA debut since
Anthony Bennett in 2013, who also had two points. After five games, Cunningham posted his first 40-plus field-goal percentage, and he had an 18-point, 10-rebound
double-double in his third NBA game. On November 21, he notched a
triple-double with 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 121–116 loss to the
Los Angeles Lakers to become the eighth-youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double and the youngest in Pistons history. On January 25, 2022, Cunningham recorded 34 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, four blocks, and two steals in a 110–105 loss to the
Denver Nuggets, joining
Michael Jordan as the only rookies in NBA history to post such a stat line. He was named the NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in January. Cunningham was named MVP of the
Rising Stars Challenge on February 18, 2022. For the month of March, Cunningham averaged 22.9 points, 7.0 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game, becoming the first rookie since Michael Jordan to average those numbers over the course of a month. After March 1, Cunningham averaged 21.2 points on 46.2 percent shooting and 6.7 assists per game for the rest of the season. He ultimately finished third in Rookie of the Year voting, behind winner
Scottie Barnes and
Evan Mobley, receiving a total of nine first-place votes.
Season-ending surgery (2022–2023) in 2024 On October 28, 2022, Cunningham scored a career-high 35 points alongside nine rebounds and eight assists in a 132–116 loss to the
Atlanta Hawks. On November 9, he was 1 of 11 from the field and finished with a season-low four points in a 128–112 loss to the
Boston Celtics. It was the first time he had failed to reach double figures in 2022–23. He did not play again following this game due to a stress fracture in his left shin. On December 12, he was ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery. He finished with averages of 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and six assists, shooting 41.5% overall and 27.9% on three-point attempts in 12 games. Three days later, he had 25 points and 10 assists in a 118–102 win over the
Chicago Bulls. The win saw the Pistons start the season with a 2–1 record. On December 18, he scored a career-high 43 points in a 130–124 loss to the
Atlanta Hawks. On December 26, he scored 41 points in a 118–112 loss to the
Brooklyn Nets. The loss saw the Pistons set an NBA single-season record with their 27th straight loss. On December 28, he had 31 points and nine assists in a 128–122 overtime loss to the
Boston Celtics. With a 28th straight loss, it tied for the longest losing streak in NBA history. In the following game two days later, the Pistons ended their losing streak with a 129–127 win over the
Toronto Raptors, with Cunningham recording 30 points and 12 assists. On January 7 against the
Denver Nuggets, Cunningham had three points before leaving midway through the second quarter with a strained left knee.
First All-Star, All-NBA and playoff appearance (2024–25) On July 10, 2024, the Pistons signed Cunningham to a five-year, $224 million contract extension. On November 8, 2024, he put up a triple-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists alongside a game-winning floater in a 122–121 win over the
Atlanta Hawks. He recorded a triple-double in his third consecutive game, tying him with
Grant Hill (April 11–14, 1997) as the longest such streak in Pistons franchise history. It was his fifth career triple-double, tying him with
Isiah Thomas for the second-most triple-doubles in Pistons franchise history. On November 17, Cunningham put up a triple-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 124–104 win over the
Washington Wizards. It was his sixth career-triple double, surpassing Isiah Thomas for the most triple-doubles in Pistons franchise history. On December 7, he had a triple-double with 29 points, a career-high 15 assists, and 10 rebounds in a 120–111 win over the
New York Knicks. On December 16, he had his sixth triple-double of the season with 20 points, a career-high 18 assists and 11 rebounds in a 125–124 overtime win over the
Miami Heat. On January 10, 2025, Cunningham had his 7th triple-double of the season in a 123–114 victory over the
Toronto Raptors. He had 22 points, 17 assists and 10 rebounds, and the win put the Pistons' season record back above .500. He also surpassed Isiah Thomas for the most 15-assist triple-doubles in Pistons franchise history with three. On January 30, Cunningham was named as reserve for the
2025 NBA All-Star Game, his first selection. Cunningham finished the regular season averaging 26.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game in 70 contests. He joined
Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to average 25+ points, 5+ rebounds and 9+ assists per game at age 23 or younger. Cunningham helped the Pistons make a 30-win improvement this season, earning a 44–38 record and the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. On April 19, 2025, Cunningham played his first postseason game against the
New York Knicks, recording 21 points, 12 assists, and six rebounds in a 112–123 loss. The next day, in light of finishing the season with career high averages in points, assists, and efficiency, he was announced to be among the three finalists for the
NBA Most Improved Player Award alongside
Dyson Daniels of the
Atlanta Hawks and
Ivica Zubac of the
Los Angeles Clippers. On April 19, in Game 4, Cunningham had 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his first playoff triple-double and the third in franchise history in a 94–93 loss against the New York Knicks. On 30 April, Cunningham finished third for the
NBA Most Improved Player Award. Detroit would go on to lose to New York in six games despite Cunningham's 23-point, 7-rebound, 8-assist and 3-steal outing in the 116–113 close-out loss in Game 6.
Best Eastern Conference record (2025–26) On November 1, 2025, Cunningham tied a career-high with 18 assists, along with 21 points, six rebounds, and three steals, in a 122–110 win over the
Dallas Mavericks. On November 10, he recorded his 12th career triple-double with a career-high 46 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists, along with five steals and two blocks, in a 137–135 overtime victory over the
Washington Wizards, becoming the first player in NBA history to total 45+ points, 10+ rebounds, 10+ assists, and 5+ steals in a single game. In this game, he would surpass
Kobe Bryant for most field goals missed in a single game, with 31 misses. For his play in October and November, he was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for the first time in his career after leading the Pistons to a 16–4 record, the best in the Eastern Conference. On January 19, 2026, Cunningham earned his second consecutive
NBA All-Star selection and was named a starter for the first time. On February 19, he recorded 42 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds, and two blocks in a 126–111 victory over the
New York Knicks. He became the only player in franchise history to record 40+ points and 10+ assists at
Madison Square Garden and joined
LeBron James and
Allen Iverson as the only opposing players to reach those numbers in that arena. He also became the first player in Pistons franchise history to put up at least 40 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, and five three-pointers made in a game. On March 17, he exited a game against the
Washington Wizards after colliding with
Tre Johnson and experiencing back spasms. Two days later on March 19, he was diagnosed with a collapsed lung and was expected to be reevaluated in two weeks. On April 8, he made his return from injury, putting up 13 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds in a 137–111 win over the
Milwaukee Bucks. His season-long efforts eventually led the Pistons to their third 60-win season in franchise history. On April 29, 2026, in Game 5 of the
first-round playoff series, Cunningham scored a playoff career-high 45 points to lead the Pistons to a 116–109 victory over the
Orlando Magic. He also set a new Pistons franchise playoff record, surpassing the long-standing 44-point mark by
Dave Bing in 1968. On May 3rd, 2026, the Detroit Pistons would complete a 3-1 comeback, with Cunningham having 32 points in the final game. ==National team career==