Why Cade Cunningham “jumped” Luka Doncic in the ranking of the best players

On the latest episode of The Road Trippin’ Show, the former NBA center Kendrick Perkins explained why Cade Cunningham has “skipped” Luka Dončić in his ranking of the best players, putting the Detroit star ahead Los Angeles Lakers guard in his current top five.

Perkins said his top tier consists of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic, with Cunningham now next in line.

“It’s SGA, Giannis, Jokic and guess who’s right after them? It’s Cade Cunningham,” Perkins said. “Cade Cunningham just passed Luka Doncic as a top five player in the NBA in my eyes. Jaylen Brown is in that conversation now. You know why? Forget about him giving them 40 points, that’s eight rebounds, that’s 13 assists, and Cade Jaylen Brown plays both sides of the basketball. basketball.”

Cunningham, 24, is coming off a career season for Detroit Pistons. In 48 games, he is averaging 25.7 points, a career-high 9.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds and a career-high 1.5 steals in 35 minutes per contest. He is shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 33.5 percent from 3-point range while leading Detroit to an NBA-best 41-13 record.

Kendrick Perkins says Cade Cunningham “jumped” Luka Doncic on his top 5 players list 😳

“It’s SGA, Giannis, Jokic and guess who’s right after them? Cade Cunningham… He plays on both sides of the basketball.”

(via @RoadTrippinShov) pic.twitter.com/A5VtVINkgI

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 20, 2026

Kendrick Perkins takes on Cade Cunningham against Luka Doncic in a top five debate

He reinforced Perkins’ point on Thursday Victory over the New York Knicks with a score of 126:111 after the All-Star break. Cunningham finished with 42 points and 13 assistseight rebounds, two blocks and a steal, shooting 17-for-34 from the field and 5-for-11 from beyond the arc in 38 minutes.

Doncic, 26, is also working at an elite level for the Los Angeles Lakers. He averaged 32.8 points, 8.6 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 42 games. He is shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from 3-point range in 35.5 minutes per game, helping Los Angeles to a 33-21 record and the fifth seed in the Western Conference.

The The Lakers return to action on Friday night when they host the Los Angeles Clipperswhich go into the 27-28, at 7 pm PT on ESPN.

Perkins’ ranking reflects a growing belief that Cunningham’s two-way impact and team success have elevated him into the league’s elite conversation, even amid Doncic’s historic offensive output.