Cade Cunningham injury update: The Detroit Pistons got some positive news on Thursday, hours after it was revealed that all-Star guard Cade Cunningham has a collapsed lung and will miss at least two weeks and possibly more. he Pistons said that the 24-year-old would be re-evaluated at the two-week mark.
What happened to Cade Cunningham?
Cunningham suffered the injury during Tuesday’s win over the Washington Wizards. The issue began after he dove for a loose ball early in the first quarter and collided with Wizards guard Tre Johnson. He appeared to be in discomfort following the play and exited the game shortly after, with the team initially describing the problem as back spasms.
Ahead of Thursday’s matchup in Washington, the Pistons ruled Cunningham out due to a left back contusion. However, the team later revealed that additional testing uncovered a lung-related issue, raising further concern about his availability moving forward.
Detroit, currently sitting at 49-19, holds a 3.5-game lead over the Boston Celtics for the top spot in the Eastern Conference with just 14 games remaining in the regular season.
Playoff concerns
With the playoffs approaching, any extended absence for Cunningham could significantly impact the team’s momentum.
The regular season is set to conclude in less than four weeks, with the Eastern Conference quarterfinals scheduled to begin on April 18 or 19. While that timeline offers some recovery window, the Pistons will be closely monitoring Cunningham’s condition.
He has appeared in 61 games so far this season, meaning a prolonged absence might prevent him from reaching the 65-game threshold required for major honors such as All-NBA selection.
Before the injury, Cunningham was enjoying a standout campaign, averaging 24.5 points and 9.9 assists per game.
Positive update
Two weeks from now means Cunningham will be back in April, well before the playoffs. NBA insider Shams Charania reported that ‘there is some optimism’ about the All-Star making it back during the playoffs.
While a pneumothorax, or collapsed lung, is considered rare in the NBA, it is not without precedent. Notably, CJ McCollum has dealt with the condition twice during his career.
According to injury analyst Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes, the typical recovery timeline for such an injury is roughly 26 days, which translates to about 11 missed games on average. However, recovery can vary significantly depending on the severity of the condition. In McCollum’s first experience with a pneumothorax, he was sidelined for 18 games.
For the Detroit Pistons, timing adds another layer of concern. The team has approximately 25 days remaining in its regular season, meaning even an average recovery timeline could keep Cade Cunningham out for most, or all, of the remaining games before the playoffs.
Yash Nitish Bajaj
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More
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