Dennis Schroder, having played for 11 teams in the NBA since his debut in 2013, has a lot of former teammates, and with most of them he has been on good terms. On Tuesday night, however, he had an uncomfortable, albeit lighthearted encounter with Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons, where he spent the second half of the 2024-25 season.
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Schroder began the current campaign with the Sacramento Kings but was on the move once again in February and now finds himself chasing a top playoff spot with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He scored 15 points in a 113-108 win, but during the game his exchange with Cunningham, which was caught by the mic, showed how much the Pistons star had changed since Schroder was his teammate.
The Pistons, after scrambling near the bottom of the standings two seasons ago, are now the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference. Cunningham has admittedly been the biggest reason behind this turnaround, with his 25 ppg and incredible consistency helping Detroit dream big. Unfortunately, his rising stock has also made him a busier man who has become harder to reach.
Cunningham, mid game against the Cavs, tried to talk to Schroder, but the German baller replied, “Don’t talk to me now.”
“I tried to call you, you got MVP chants, now you not answering the phone no more,” the Cavs guard added, with a laugh, which suggested that it was banter.
“You got MVP chants, now you’re not answering the phone no more.”
Dennis Schröder to his former teammate Cade Cunningham pic.twitter.com/6jfjviKP46
— NBA (@NBA) March 4, 2026
At the same time, this could be true. Cunningham isn’t just a prospect anymore. The former #1 Draft pick is the protagonist of a team chasing a Championship, and he has, indeed, received NBA MVP shouts from legends like Shaquille O’Neal.
The Pistons last won the NBA title in 2004, when they beat the Lakers 4–1 in the Finals. Since then, they have been on a steady decline. Between 2008 and 2024, they reached the playoffs only three times and exited in the first round in each of those seasons after being swept. It was only Cunningham’s rise in 2025 that took them back to the playoffs, where they pushed the New York Knicks to six games before bowing out.
It was a defining moment for Cunningham and the Pistons, setting the stage for a better 2025–26 season, which they are currently having.
The Cavs, meanwhile, are on their tail. They are No. 4 in the East and could very well meet Detroit in the postseason. Schroder vs. Cunningham? It might be a battle Schroder takes personally if Cunningham ignoring his calls truly affected him.
