Cunningham out with collapsed lung
Detroit’s Cade Cunningham is sidelined with a collapsed lung, putting his playoff availability in serious doubt — similar injuries typically need roughly 3.5 to 6 weeks to recover. The Pistons are monitoring but timelines make a full‑season return before the postseason uncertain. (sportpreferred.com)
The Pistons officially diagnosed Cunningham with a left‑lung pneumothorax and said he will be re‑evaluated in two weeks after the team announcement on March 19, 2026. (nba.com) The injury occurred during Detroit’s March 17 road game at Washington after Cunningham dove for a loose ball and exited early; the club initially listed the issue as back spasms. (touchdownwire.usatoday.com) Cunningham has appeared in 61 games this season and is averaging 24.5 points and 9.9 assists, figures that underscore how central he has been to Detroit’s rotation. (sports.yahoo.com) Because he’s at 61 games, Cunningham sits just below the 65‑game threshold used for many end‑of‑season awards and All‑NBA consideration, a point ESPN noted when reporting the diagnosis. (espn.com) Analysts pointed to precedents: CJ McCollum has had multiple pneumothoraxes in the past, missing about three weeks in 2023 and roughly six weeks in 2021, a timeline observers referenced while weighing Cunningham’s outlook. (profootballnetwork.com) Detroit leads the Eastern Conference with roughly 15 regular‑season games remaining, a stretch the franchise will navigate without Cunningham through the initial re‑evaluation window. (sports.yahoo.com)
