Cade Cunningham suffers collapsed lung
Detroit’s Cade Cunningham will miss at least two weeks after suffering a collapsed lung, a rare injury that clouds the Pistons’ playoff push and could affect conditioning even after return. Medical timelines vary from days to several weeks, and the team said they’ll reassess in two weeks (CBS Sports) (cbssports.com).
The Pistons announced on March 19, 2026 that Cunningham’s diagnosis is a left‑lung pneumothorax (collapsed lung). (nba.com(nba.com)) The injury followed a March 17 loose‑ball play in Washington when Cunningham collided with Wizards guard Tre Johnson and exited the game with what was first described as back spasms before imaging revealed the pneumothorax. (si.com(si.com) freep.com(freep.com)) Cunningham is averaging 24.5 points and 9.9 assists this season, and ESPN sources reported the team described the collapse as “mild” with optimism he could be available before the postseason begins April 18, 2026. (nba.com(nba.com) espn.com(espn.com)) ESPN’s reporting noted the timing will cost Detroit meaningful regular‑season availability, projecting the absence to equal at least eight games on the Pistons’ remaining schedule. (espn.com(espn.com)) Comparable NBA cases have varied widely: CJ McCollum missed roughly six weeks with a pneumothorax in 2021 and about three weeks in 2023, while Terrence Jones missed roughly a week–two weeks after a 2015 collapse, illustrating how recovery depends on severity and treatment. (sports.yahoo.com(sports.yahoo.com) si.com(si.com)) Pulmonologists told local outlets treatment options range from observation and supplemental oxygen to chest‑tube placement for larger air leaks, and the Pistons’ public update to date has listed the diagnosis without announcing any surgical or chest‑tube procedure. (freep.com(freep.com) nba.com(nba.com))
