Oklahoma State Professional Athletes

Nobody penciled Detroit in as an Eastern Conference threat this October. The Pistons lost Tobias Harris in free agency, made few notable offseason moves, and spent the summer in a drawn-out restricted free agency standoff with Jalen Duren. The skeptics had their reasons.

Cade Cunningham didn't care.

The Oklahoma State alum has the Detroit Pistons at 2-0 through the first week of the 2026-27 season, capping the stretch with a dominant 128-111 blowout of the Miami Heat on Saturday. More dramatically, he orchestrated one of the early signature moments of the NBA calendar: a comeback win on opening night that snapped Boston's 38-game home winning streak.

The Comeback That Shook the East

The Celtics led by 22 points and looked every bit the defending powerhouse heading into halftime of opening night. Then Cunningham — 22 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds in 35 minutes — led a second-half charge that turned a comfortable Boston cushion into a 121-113 Detroit victory. Duren matched Cunningham's 22-point output, but make no mistake: this was the Cade show. The Celtics, who went 56-26 a season ago, couldn't hold the line against a Pistons squad the league had quietly dismissed.

Boston's 38-game home streak, one of the notable ongoing marks in the league, was over. On Day 1.

Building Something Real

The Heat game on Saturday underscored that opening night wasn't a fluke. Cunningham posted 16 points, 8 assists, 3 blocks, and a +9 in just 29 minutes as Detroit cruised. John Collins led all scorers with 23 points — and his pairing with Cunningham appears to be exactly what the OSU alum needed. Collins, entering his 10th NBA season after averaging 14 points and 5 rebounds with the Clippers last year, gives Cunningham a reliable finisher in the paint who takes pressure off the point guard to carry the offense alone. Cunningham has described the dynamic as a "blessing" for how it opens up his decision-making on the floor.

Two games in, the numbers back up the sentiment: Detroit has won by 8 and 17, and Cunningham is averaging 19 points and 8 assists on the young season.

Smart Quietly Steady in Houston

While Cunningham commands the headlines, fellow OSU alum Marcus Smart has been a quiet contributor for a 2-0 Houston Rockets squad. Smart logged 10 points, 2 assists, and a +14 in 26 minutes during Thursday's 128-110 rout of Dallas, then chipped in 5 points, 3 rebounds, and a steal in a tighter 114-110 win over San Antonio on Saturday. He's playing 20-plus minutes off the bench as a veteran stabilizer — doing the Marcus Smart things that don't always show up on a stat sheet but tend to show up in the win column.

Two Cowboys alumni, two undefeated teams. Stillwater has had worse weeks.

Oklahoma State has never lacked for NBA talent, and heading into the 2026-27 season, two Cowboys are among the more compelling storylines in the league.

Smart Lands in Houston — on His Own Terms

Marcus Smart didn't just find a new home. He made a statement getting there. According to reports, the Los Angeles Lakers extended a contract offer so underwhelming that Smart was "offended" and described it as "disrespectful." He promptly signed with the Houston Rockets, a decision that is already looking like the Lakers' loss.

In Houston, Smart has slotted into a roster built around Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, and Alperen Şengün — and his new head coach couldn't be more enthusiastic. Rockets coach Ime Udoka singled out Smart's experience, toughness, and potential impact after his debut, the kind of public endorsement that signals real trust from a coaching staff. Yahoo Sports has already pegged him as the utility piece Houston was missing, a tone-setter on defense who can quarterback lineups without demanding shots.

If there were any doubts about whether Smart, a career grinder, could fit alongside star-level talent, his preseason showing put them to rest — including a deep pregame heave against Oklahoma City that drew serious attention on social media. The optics of draining that shot against his home state's franchise weren't lost on anyone watching.

Cunningham Has a Message for the Doubters

Cade Cunningham is tired of hearing that the Detroit Pistons aren't a title threat. He's been vocal about it, and the receipts back him up: Detroit went 60-22 last season, claimed the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, and somehow still enters 2026-27 being overlooked by the broader basketball conversation.

Cunningham has made clear he's not interested in managing expectations. He's pushing back directly on anyone "sleeping on Detroit," and there's substance behind the bravado. Sports Illustrated has called him one of the best players in the league outright — not a promising young player, not an ascending star, but a finished product. The Pistons' main question isn't whether Cunningham can carry them; it's who steps up alongside him on a given night.

In the preseason finale against Toronto, Cunningham delivered 18 points and seven assists in a 129-125 Pistons win — workmanlike by his standards, but efficient when Detroit needed it. The front office was aggressive enough this offseason to pursue high-profile additions, a sign the organization shares his championship ambitions.

The Pistons are a real problem for Eastern Conference contenders, and Cunningham knows it. Whether the rest of the league is ready to acknowledge that is a different matter — and one he seems perfectly content to settle on the floor.

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Two Oklahoma State alumni, two very different situations, one shared disposition: both Smart and Cunningham are entering this season with something to prove, and both look positioned to deliver.

Oklahoma State Alumni NBA Roundup | Oct. 4–10, 2026

Oklahoma State's two most prominent NBA alumni are both making noise this preseason — one as the most coveted building block in the league, the other navigating an unexpected roster move with characteristic resilience.

Cade Cunningham: Detroit's Cornerstone, and Its Shopping List

Cade Cunningham isn't just the face of the Detroit Pistons — he's become the axis around which the franchise's entire roster ambition revolves. This preseason, the trade market chatter surrounding Detroit has been loud and specific: multiple reports indicate the Pistons pursued Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard during the offseason in attempts to construct a contender alongside their star point guard. Those efforts fell short, but the front office hasn't gone quiet.

The most prominent name still circulating is Kyrie Irving, with Bleacher Report reporting that Detroit has had genuine interest in pairing the nine-time All-Star with Cunningham in the backcourt. Heavy Sports also flagged the Mavericks guard as a target the Pistons have been urged to pursue. Meanwhile, The Sporting News reported separate interest in a $120 million "three-level scorer" and a $118 million clutch NBA champion — both framed explicitly as complements to Cunningham and center Jalen Duren, whose contract standoff with the team was recently resolved.

On the court, Cunningham opened preseason action against the Suns, and off it, he generated a lighter moment when photos surfaced from a Pistons open practice showing him wearing Caitlin Clark's signature Nike sneakers — a detail that ricocheted across sports media and underscored just how much attention follows him these days.

The through-line is clear: Detroit views Cunningham as a max-level foundation, and the front office is openly willing to be aggressive to put the right pieces around him.

Marcus Smart: Candid About the Lakers Split

Marcus Smart's exit from Los Angeles was one of the more surprising personnel moves of the offseason. Coming off what was described as a productive season with the Lakers, Smart nevertheless found himself in free agency — and he's since been candid about why the two sides parted ways.

In a sit-down covered by The Sporting News, Smart opened up about the circumstances of his Lakers departure, offering a straightforward account of how the split materialized despite his strong play. He has since landed with the Houston Rockets, where he'll look to reestablish himself in a new system.

Smart's reputation as one of the league's premier defensive disruptors remains intact, and Houston — still building around young talent — adds a veteran presence and edge that should be immediately useful.

The Bigger Picture

Two Oklahoma State alumni, two very different preseason narratives. Cunningham is the league's most discussed young centerpiece, with front offices and analysts debating who belongs beside him. Smart is the grizzled veteran finding his footing after an abrupt change of scenery. Both storylines carry weight heading into opening week — and both keep Stillwater relevant on the NBA map.