Report: Rivals Wonder If Pistons Shut Down Cade Cunningham to Land Victor Wembanyama

Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham is feared to have a stress fracture in his left shin and is considered to be out indefinitely, though he hasn't been ruled out for the entirety of the 2022-23 season.

However, rival executives are wondering whether the Pistons would prefer Cunningham to "shut it down for the future" in an effort to land the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft, which would give them the chance to select highly-touted prospect Victor Wembanyama, per NBA insider Marc Stein.

Stein also noted that Cunningham's absence "could encourage the Pistons to trade Bojan Bogdanović to the highest bidder between now and the Feb. 9 trade deadline since there are no longer any illusions that this team is a viable contender for even a play-in spot."

The Pistons already own the NBA's worst record at 3-14, though the Houston Rockets may also get the opportunity to land the No. 1 pick this year as they currently sit last in the Western Conference with a 3-13 record.

Wembanyama is considered a generational talent, and he'll surely alter the trajectory of whichever team selects him.

The superstar French center made his United States debut in October, suiting up for the Metropolitans 92 against the G League Ignite in two showcase games. In the first game, he finished with 37 points, four rebounds and five blocks. In Game 2, he notched 36 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and four assists.

Following his performance against the G League Ignite, an Eastern Conference scout told ESPN's Myron Medcalf that "we've never seen anyone like" Wembanyama before.

Wembanyama's talent has led many to believe teams will tank in an effort to land him. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in October that he hoped that wouldn't happen.

"I know that many of our NBA teams are salivating at the notion that potentially through our lottery, they can get him, so they should all still compete very hard next season," Silver told reporters.

The Pistons have been one of the Eastern Conference's worst teams for more than a decade, but pairing Wembanyama with someone like Cunningham, in addition to Jaden Ivey, could help the team return to prominence sooner rather than later.

Still, there's no guarantee they land the coveted No. 1 pick, though they would get a pretty good consolation prize in Scoot Henderson if they were to land the No. 2 pick.