In a significant development for the NBA awards race, the league and the National Basketball Players Association announced Thursday that Luka Dončić and Cade Cunningham will remain eligible for honors like MVP and All-NBA despite narrowly missing the season's 65-game minimum requirement.
Dončić, the league's scoring champion and a leading MVP candidate, appeared in 64 games for the Dallas Mavericks, while the Detroit Pistons' Cunningham suited up for 63. Both players successfully appealed under the "extraordinary circumstances provision" of the collective bargaining agreement.
The circumstances behind their absences were indeed notable. Dončić missed two games to be present for the birth of his daughter in Slovenia, a family-first moment the league recognized. Cunningham's case was medical; he was sidelined for 12 games after being diagnosed with a collapsed lung on March 17.
This ruling ensures two of the league's brightest young stars will be rightfully considered for postseason accolades. It also highlights the ongoing conversation around the 65-game rule, designed to curb "load management" but which can penalize players for legitimate, unavoidable absences.
The decision stands in contrast to the case of Minnesota's Anthony Edwards, who played in 60 games. His separate appeal through an independent arbitrator was denied, underscoring that these exemptions are granted on a case-by-case basis.
As the regular season concluded, the eligibility of stars like Dončić and Cunningham was a major storyline. Other top candidates, like San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama and Denver's Nikola Jokić, reached the 65-game threshold in their final contests, securing their spots on the ballot.
The debate over the rule's impact is sure to continue, especially after comments from figures like Nuggets coach David Adelman, who argued that a player like Jokić—who consistently plays through minor ailments—shouldn't be penalized for missing a single game. For now, the appeals process has worked as intended for Dončić and Cunningham, keeping their spectacular seasons in the awards conversation where they belong.