"Don't Let Me Go To Cleveland": Cade Cunningham Tells Interesting Story About 2021 NBA Draft Lottery

In the months leading up to the 2021 NBA Draft, there was plenty of buzz surrounding Oklahoma State standout Cade Cunningham. On June 22, Cunningham’s fate was essentially sealed as the Detroit Pistons won the Draft Lottery to claim the number-one pick.

In a recent episode of the online show “Boardroom,” Cunningham opened up about his feelings as the deputy NBA Commissioner, Mark Tatum, was set to announce the teams that would be getting the top three selections. These three teams ended up being the Pistons, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Houston Rockets.

Apparently, there was one team that Cunningham least preferred to join among this trio.

“When the lottery was happening, and it started cutting down… I’m like, don’t let me go to Cleveland,” Cunningham told host Kevin Durant, who laughed out loud.

When Durant asked the rising star to share his thought process, Cunningham explained a simple process of elimination. “I don’t know if it was the red and blue, I don’t know if it was Isiah Thomas,” he said of the Pistons. Cunningham went on by saying, “And then, there’s Houston. I’m from Arlington; Houston is four hours down the road.”

He admitted, however, that the proximity of Houston was as much of a risk as it was a blessing. Being close to home might have kept him from being fully focused on his career. “In my head, that might be tricky,” Cunningham added.

Was there a Cavaliers-specific reason that was weighing on Cunningham’s mind at the time? As a matter of fact, there was. “I was a big [LeBron James] fan growing up. I’m not trying to go to Cleveland,” he revealed.

Cunningham had just turned two years old when James began his storied Cavs career in 2003, so it’s safe to say that he was fully aware of the pressure that LBJ faced as the cornerstone of that franchise. Ironically, just hours before the 2021 NBA Draft, ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins claimed that Cunningham was the best perimeter prospect since James.

Cunningham ended up becoming the main man of the Pistons, a team that he led to the 2025 playoffs to end a five-year postseason drought. His fate of ending up in Detroit was determined by chance, but his prolific numbers and All-Star caliber play have been the work of his own hands.