The NBA’s 65-game rule for award eligibility has been a hot topic to close out the 2025-26 regular season. With plenty of stars either falling short of the qualifications, or coming close to missing it, calls for changes to the rule have been rampant.
Based on the awards rules, two of the most notable snubs for All-NBA teams, and potential MVP contention, were set to be Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham. But on Thursday, both got positive news in that regard.
The NBA announced that Doncic and Cunningham were ruled eligible for awards despite coming up short of 65 games played — but Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was denied his challenge to the rule.
Here’s why Doncic and Cunningham will be awards-eligible now, but Edwards will not.
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Why Luka Doncic can win NBA awards
Doncic played in a total of 64 games this season before a hamstring injury sidelined him for 11 games to finish the regular season. Coming up just one game shy of the awards-eligibility mark, Doncic’s team reportedly then filed an appeal for his eligibility because he missed two games in December for the birth of his daughter in Slovenia.
Per The Athletic, Doncic’s team was aware of the clause in the NBA’s 65-game rule that allows appeals for an exception to the rule, and filed a protest to him being set to miss out on MVP contention or an All-NBA team.
“Luka has gone to great lengths to show up for his team and this league this season,” Doncic’s agent, Billy Duffy, said in a statement to The Athletic about the appeal. “His record-breaking season deserves to be noted in the history books, despite last night’s unfortunate injury and other extraordinary circumstances. We look forward to working with the NBAPA and the league office to ensure a fair outcome in this matter.”
On Thursday, the NBA ruled that Doncic’s appeal was approved, meaning he will now be eligible for 2025-26 awards despite not clearing 65 games.
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/ZT2SldeN6X
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 16, 2026
Doncic reacted on social media, thanking the NBAPA for “advocating on my behalf.”
I am grateful to the NBPA for advocating on my behalf and to the NBA for their fair decision. It was so important to me to be present for the birth of my daughter in December and I appreciate Mark, Jeanie, Rob, JJ, and the entire Lakers organization for fully supporting me and…
— Luka Doncic (@lukadoncic) April 16, 2026
Why Cade Cunningham can win NBA awards
Cunningham finished the season with 64 games played, 63 of which were “qualified” under the rule, after a collapsed lung kept him sidelined for an extensive period in late March and early April. He missed 12 games with the collapsed lung.
However, Cunningham also filed an appeal to the NBA’s 65-game rule, which he won. Now, the Pistons guard will, in all likelihood, make an All-NBA team while finishing somewhere on overall MVP ballots.
What’s an extraordinary circumstances challenge in the NBA?
Doncic and Cunningham’s appeals came via a part of the NBA’s 65-game awards rule that allows players to file for an “Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge.”
The clause allows players who did not meet the 65-game threshold to apply for an exception to the awards rule for any type of outside circumstance, such as Doncic traveling for the birth of his daughter.
Per The Athletic, players had to file any appeals no later than Monday, with the regular season ending on Sunday, and a “challenge expert” that was chosen by the NBA and NBPA would then evaluate the appeals and determine if “the sole remedy shall be that the player is deemed eligible for the Applicable Generally Recognized League Honors.”
For Doncic and Cunningham’s cases, the NBA and the NBA players union did not contest the filings, according to The Athletic.
Why Anthony Edwards is not eligible for NBA awards
Edwards, who played in 61 games this season due to injuries, 60 of which were “qualified” under the rule, also filed an appeal for award eligibility. However, he was denied, per Charania. His case was reportedly advanced to an independent arbitrator before being denied.
Despite averaging a career-high 28.8 points per game this season, Edwards will not appear on any All-NBA ballots.