Detroit Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham's MVP case continues to gain significant momentum. The Pistons recently defeated the Orlando Magic 106-92. This marks the most regular season wins for Detroit since 2007–08 with 45, and the Pistons' All-Star was a major reason for that.
Cunningham had another impressive performance with 29 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and two steals. He even took a defensive step, taking on the challenge of guarding Magic forward Paolo Banchero. Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff has been a big supporter of Cunningham as an MVP candidate. He continued that campaign in front of the media after the Pistons' win in Orlando.
Bickerstaff explained, "He's special because of the type of person he is. He's special because of the type of teammate he is. It's a blessing to be with him and work with him every day." "The basketball skills speak for themselves. There's nothing on the court he can't do on both ends of the court. He can score, he can share it, he can manipulate, he can get stops, block shots and get steals. Whatever you want him to do on the basketball court, he's able to do it, and it's not hollow. Everything he does, he has winning in his mind."
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains the current betting favorite for the coveted MVP award. Cunningham is currently ranked third in the highest ranking. Despite the buzz of the Thunder guard winning awards in back-to-back seasons for Oklahoma City, there is still plenty of regular season left for Cunningham to make his case.
Gilgeous-Alexander missed the last nine games due to injury. If he misses six more games, he will no longer be eligible for MVP. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic also missed a long time due to a knee injury. Jokic can only miss one more game before his eligibility is up. The Nuggets have also moved into the fifth seed in the Western Conference after going 4-7 through February.
Cunningham has 23 games left in the regular season to stake his claim. He is currently averaging 25.4 points, 9.8 assists and 5.8 rebounds in the 2025-26 regular season. These stats place him in the top-15 in scoring and second-best in assists. Cunningham has also totaled 33 double-doubles this season as the Pistons' leading guard.
His exceptional production has helped lead Detroit to a 45–14 record. This leaves them in first place in the Eastern Conference and with the best winning percentage in the entire NBA. Detroit has made tremendous changes since drafting Cunningham. After the success they have achieved this season and last season, they have left their days as one of the worst losing teams behind them.
Cunningham has also played on several nationally televised stages to help present his game more publicly among the league's voters. The Pistons have eight more nationally televised games before the season ends. The Pistons should continue to emerge as the best team in the league record-wise, with an elite level of production from their 2026 All-Star starter. Cunningham could carve out a legitimate path to becoming the first Pistons player to win MVP in franchise history.
