Cade Cunningham has a clear goal for Detroit Pistons, says team is playing with a ‘chip’ on shoulders

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Detroit Pistons superstar Cade Cunningham has only one goal in mind for the 2025-26 NBA season.

Just two years ago, the Detroit Pistons were the worst team in the NBA. Fast forward to now, and the Pistons are currently the first seed in the Eastern Conference.

They currently have a 15-2 record and have a league-best 13-game winning streak, even better than the reigning NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder.

Despite that, Cade Cunningham isn’t satisfied with the Pistons just yet, as he has a clear goal set for the current campaign.

Cade Cunningham says Detroit Pistons want to win the 2026 NBA Championship

Last season, the Pistons advanced to the NBA Playoffs after a wait of five seasons. However, Detroit was eliminated in the opening round by the New York Knicks.

Even though the Pistons faced a first-round exit, Cunningham claims it was an ‘amazing experience,’ and the team now wants to not only reach the 2026 NBA Finals but win it.

“We’re trying to get to the Finals and win a Finals. First-round last year was an amazing experience for everybody. I think we all learned something from it,” Cunningham told ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill.

He added: “We all took something from it, and we all have a chip on our shoulder because of that series.”

Considering the likes of the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers will not even make the playoffs this season, the path to at least reaching the finals seems wider than ever for the Pistons.

The difference a year has made in the Detroit Pistons’ goals

Cunningham then explained how just a single year has made a huge difference in the Pistons’ end-of-season goals.

“Last year, Play-In and all that stuff were more of the goal. We have to be in that, we have to experience that,” he continued.

“Now that’s not even what we’re talking about. It’s how we can be the highest-level basketball team,” Cunningham concluded.

Is it an ambitious goal? Yes. But do the Pistons have the talent to achieve it? So far, they have proven that in the 2025-26 season.

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