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Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons brings the ball up court against Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden on February 19, 2026 in New York City.
Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham may have done enough on Thursday to leapfrog Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic for the top spot on the NBA MVP Ladder, and he knows it.
After dropping 43 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds to power the shorthanded Pistons past the New York Knicks, Cunningham declared he’s the MVP of the league.
“I think I am [MVP],” Cunningham told ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill.
“And if you don’t agree with me, that’s your opinion.”
Cade Cunningham, Pistons Ascend
It’s hard to argue with Cunningham’s position. The fifth-year guard has almost single-handedly scripted the Pistons’ turnaround over the last two years. After their dismal 14-68 record in 2023-24 — which included a 28-game losing streak — the Pistons improved to 44-38 last year and are now the best team in the conference. With Thursday’s win, the top-seeded Pistons (41-13) opened up a sizeable lead against the rest of their East foes, and are within striking distance of surpassing the defending champions, Oklahoma City Thunder, for the best overall record in the NBA.
Cunningham knows he’s the reason the Pistons are in their current position, and isn’t willing to be humble enough to deny it.
“It comes from doing the things I said, what I needed to do to be in that conversation,” Cunningham said of being in the NBA MVP race.
“Now that we’re getting closer, there’s more [talk] like ‘What is your case? You should speak on it.’ I don’t really care to speak on it. I want the people that vote on it to be smart enough to look at the game for themselves.”
Cade Cunningham: NBA MVP?
Several factors are working in Cunningham’s favor in the MVP race during the stretch run of the NBA season. For one, Gilgeous-Alexander, sidelined indefinitely with an abdomen injury, can afford to sit out only 10 more games to maintain eligibility for MVP and other accolades. Similarly, Jokic can miss only one more game, while Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic is five missed games away from disqualification.
If the Pistons were to finish the season with a superior record than the Thunder — a very realistic possibility — Cunningham’s MVP case would only grow stronger. While some believe Cunningham bolstered his MVP argument by carrying a shorthanded Pistons team — without Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart — past the Knicks, Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff feels his point guard’s MVP case doesn’t come down to one game.
“I don’t think you pick an MVP based off, you know, just one game or one statement,” Bickerstaff said of Cunnigham winning the Michael Jordan Trophy.
“He’s been this way for the entire season. He’s dominated both ends of the floor and impacted winning in a major way.”
Pistons veteran Tobias Harris explained why Cunningham deserves to win MVP.
“He’s a winner, man. He really is. Attitude, leadership, every day, the guy is special,” Harris said of Cunningham.
“I think more than anything, he wants championships and that’s a difference. There’s guys who want to win MVP and guys who want to win championships.”
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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