A known issue the Detroit Pistons were dealing with was the lack of legitimate star help alongside Cade Cunningham. This held them back in the postseason tremendously and was the ultimate reason they were sent home. As a result, Cunningham decided to take matters into his own hands. He tried to recruit Kawhi Leonard, one of the top stars on the trade block, to the Pistons, according to ESPN's Vince Goodwill, but he failed in the end.
Cade Cunningham was ‘very much involved’ in attempting to recruit players like Austin Reaves, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, & Kyrie Irving to Detroit, per @VinceGoodwill
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) July 30, 2026
(h/t @TheHoopsAlerts) pic.twitter.com/R6mBdmYUN2
Along with Leonard, Cunningham reportedly tried to recruit guys like Austin Reaves, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving.
The only significant addition to the Pistons this offseason has been John Collins. He is great and will do wonders for their team, but Collins is no Leonard, or any of the other stars Cunningham was interested in teaming up with.
Cade Cunningham’s efforts in pushing for Kawhi failed because of history
On paper, Kawhi Leonard, one of the best bets to win a third ring, was forcing his way to the Detroit Pistons. He would be joining a team that just won 60 games, and would instantly be the 1B option to Cade Cunningham as the 1A.
And, in all honesty, the 1-2 punch of Cunningham and Leonard would’ve been extremely exciting. That’s the perfect blend of scoring, playmaking, defense, and overall dominance.
However, the only destinations Leonard was reportedly open to being moved to were the Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs.
This clarifies why Cunningham was unsuccessful in convincing Leonard to bring his talents to the Pistons: there was no history between them.
Leonard had never been a part of the Pistons’ organization, was never coached under J.B. Bickerstaff, and wasn’t going to see many familiar faces on the roster in terms of former teammates outside of John Collins. These may have been three major cons in the eyes of the two-time champion to adding Detroit into his list of interested destinations.
The Raptors and Spurs cannot say the same. In fact, he won a ring with both organizations in his earlier days in the NBA, and was drafted by San Antonio, where he learned the ins and outs of the game.
Did Leonard make a mistake by not listening to Cunningham and joining the Pistons? Maybe.
But only time will tell. Right now, all we know is Cunningham liked the idea of Leonard as his running mate, and the feeling was not necessarily reciprocated.
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