​The Pistons are set to make their first move to evaluate Cade Cunningham’s potential long-term sidekick during the 2026 NBA Summer League, as reported by The Sporting News. The Pistons have added The Sporting News as a preferred source for this coverage. Detroit’s roster for the summer is loaded with young talent and potential, signaling a clear plan to bolster Cunningham with reliable support.
One of the biggest needs for Detroit has been a steady, high-quality complement to Cade Cunningham. To address that hole, the Pistons selected Ebuka Okorie with the 17th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Detroit’s official Summer League roster confirms Okorie will indeed participate, alongside a group that includes Ugonna Onyenso, Chaz Lanier, Isaac Jones, Dawson Garcia, Brice Williams, Basheer Jihad, Latavious Mitchell, Roddy Gayle Jr., and Corey Stephenson. Among them, Okorie stands out as the headline name.
Okorie is a high-scoring guard from Stanford who has a knack for pulling off tough shots and finishing at the rim. His presence on the court is expected to draw significant attention, but his primary objective will be to alleviate some of the load on Cunningham. For the Pistons, easing Cunningham’s minutes is crucial if the franchise hopes to advance to the next level. According to Basketball Reference, Cunningham logged an average of 40.9 minutes per game during the 2025-26 playoffs, a workload that is unsustainable for any player over an extended season. Oklahoma? not relevant here; the key point is the heavy burden Cunningham carried and how Okorie could help share it.
Okorie’s addition also appears on the Pistons’ 2026 ESPN Depth Chart, where he is listed as Cunningham’s backup and the second-string point guard. When Okorie is on the floor, the offense could become notably more explosive. He led all guards in the 2026 NBA draft class with 250 at-rim shot attempts last season, a statistic that underscores his ability to create and finish around the basket—a skill set that could translate into meaningful minutes when Cunningham rests.
The on-court payoff, however, remains to be seen. The Pistons will begin their Summer League schedule on Thursday, July 9, facing the Philadelphia 76ers. If Okorie can translate his college efficiency and rim aggression to the pro summer stage, Detroit could find a promising blueprint for balancing Cunningham’s workload while maintaining an aggressive, high-paced offense. As the summer unfolds, fans will be watching closely to see how Okorie, Onyenso, and the rest of Detroit’s youngsters coalesce around Cunningham and whether this cohort can deliver the complementary scoring, playmaking, and defense that the Pistons will need to climb back into playoff contention.