Cade Cunningham hilariously disses Cleveland in draft story

Doc Detroit Pistons All-Star Cade Cunningham was opening up to Kevin DurantThe Houston Rockets All-Star shared a funny story about the NBA lottery that is in his draft. With the teams winning the first pick narrowed down to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons, Cunningham revealed that he hopes the Pistons or Rockets take him first overall, but please, not the Cavs, he pleaded.

Cunningham discovered his thought process and reasons didn’t want to play for the Cavs in a sit-down interview with Duran via Boardroom.

“Not at all. Whenever the lottery was going on and it started getting smaller. The last three — it’s Cleveland, Houston and Detroit — don’t let me go to Cleveland,” Cunningham said. “I don’t know if it’s red and blue. I don’t know if it’s a hit, like Isiah Thomas. It was just history. I was a big Bron fan growing up. But, I’m not trying to go to Cleveland.”

Although he didn’t want to go to the Cavs and that playing for the Rockets would be like playing for his hometown, Cunningham hoped it would be the Pistons with the first pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

“I’m from Arlington. Houston is four hours down the road,” Cunningham added. “But, in my head, it might get awkward. I kind of wanted to (get away). People don’t want to go to Stillwater. People want to go to Houston. It was different. And I could feel it even before. Everybody’s like, ‘Houston, Houston!’ I wouldn’t be mad, but I was so happy to go to Detroit.

Kevin Durant: “Did you have a team in mind coming out of college that you wanted to play for?”

Cade Cunningham: “Not at all. Whenever the lottery was going on… Don’t let me go to Cleveland.” 😅

(via @boardroom)pic.twitter.com/dOST0IKria

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 17, 2025

As a young father and top NBA prospect, Cunningham yearned for a fresh start in a new city. Cunningham would finish third for Rookie of the Year honors, but earned his first All-Star selection last year in just his fourth season.

Cade Cunningham gets real when he becomes a teenage dad before the Pistons

In a season where the Pistons All-Star Cade Cunningham has signed his first signature shoe dealled his team to the best record — 11-2 — in the Eastern Conference. Cunningham discovered that becomes a teenage father made him grow up fast, while the support of his family on his way to the NBA made everything easier.

“My family was so supportive. Whenever all these things happened, they were like, ‘You begged to go, now go. We’ve got Riley, go ahead.’ Going through college, they were the same. They were so much like, ‘We have your daughter,’ that I really had the option of going anywhere,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham attended Oklahoma State University for a year before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.