Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale believes so as well, and predicts the Pistons could trade for Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard. Leonard has championship experience as a two-time Finals MVP, and would bring the scoring and defense Detroit needs in order to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy.

“Kawhi could prove to be an ideal target for the Detroit Pistons if their postseason ends in disappointment. He soups up both the primary and secondary offense, and his salary comes off the books (and should get cheaper moving forward) just as they’re shelling out big money for all three of Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren (restricted) and Ausar Thompson,” Favale wrote. 

This past season, Leonard averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals in 32 minutes per game. Adding him to a starting five with Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, and they could have the best team in the Eastern Conference, hands down.

The only two problems come with acquiring him. The Pistons would have to find a way to handle his $50 million per year contract, which also could be a one-year rental. On top of that, they would have to give up years of assets to land such a star.

As long as they are comfortable with that though, getting Leonard seems like a no-brainer. Especially if their team doesn’t even make the conference finals.

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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.

SN’s NBA HQ: Live NBA scores | Updated NBA standings | Full NBA schedule

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.

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Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic and Detroit Pistons cornerstone Cade Cunningham were the two players most affected by the rule. Thankfully, the NBA has allowed them to be eligible due to their respective challenges.

Gilbert Arenas likes Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham’s award eligibility

It would have been a shame if superstars like Doncic and Cunningham lost a chance at being rewarded for their efforts. They were both excellent in the 2025-26 season, individually and in how they led their teams.

The Lakers finished the season as the fourth seed, but they would not have been anywhere close to that if Doncic had not played. The same could be said about the Pistons because Cunningham was the player who led them to the number one seed in the Eastern Conference.

Now, they are eligible for the awards after challenging the NBA. They had unique circumstances because Doncic had to miss games due to a personal issue, while Cunningham had a unique injury with his collapsed lung.

“This is a first for the NBA in granting the Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge provision in this. The league and the Players’ Union both agreed that Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham had circumstances that rose to the level of now being eligible for All-NBA teams and MVP,” Shams Charania reported on ESPN’s NBA Today show.

It is a good result for both players because they are ending the season with something they deserve. They will most likely earn rewards at the end of the season, which will be the All-NBA nods, but Luka could be a dark horse in the MVP race as well.

More NBA news:

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Duren outlines Pistons’ heavy focus on film

When watching Pistons games, a glaring separator between them and other teams is how they operate like a well-oiled machine. It also not just Cunningham and Duren who do well on the floor. Coach Bickerstaff has found a way to elevate guys in their rotation like Daniss Jenkins, Ron Holland III, and Paul Reed before the NBA Playoffs.

Duren noted that it was all because they evaluated Coach Bickerstaff’s schemes and how they would fare against other squads. All of that happened in the film room, via Fred Katz of The Athletic.

“It came down to just watching film, man. Just watching film, seeing where my weaknesses were and kinda just building on that. Once you understand what your weaknesses are, you’re able to work on them,” the Pistons center declared.

All of that seem to be paying dividends for the majority of the Pistons roster. Aside from their conference-leading 52-20 record, they have been great at all the team metrics. Coach Bickerstaff and Cunningham have led this team to 117.5 points per game which ranks eighth in the league. Moreover, They also have an insane 109.9 defensive rating that gets them to third in the NBA. Not to mention, the Pistons’ net rating is valued at +7.7 and it’s the third-best in the league.

As of late, they are still holding on after Cunningham suffered a collapsed lung a few games before the NBA Playoffs. With how much they are invested to improving, it would not be a surprise if Duren and Bickerstaff still manage to lead this team to a probable Larry O’Brien trophy run.

More NBA News:

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With all three missing time this season, it could be a close call for each.

The 65-game rule didn’t heavily impact the MVP race in either of its first two seasons after being implemented as part of the new collective bargaining agreement in 2023, but it could, at the very least, prevent Cunningham from earning All-NBA honors in a season that has seen him emerge as a legitimate MVP candidate.

The NBPA has already called for the rule to be changed, saying in a statement, “Cade Cunningham’s potential ineligibility for postseason awards after a career-defining season is a clear indictment of the 65-game rule and yet another example of why it must be abolished or reformed to create an exception for significant injuries.”

While there is a minor exception for season-ending injuries, Cunningham doesn’t meet it.

The Jugo Mobile is tracking the award eligibility for some of the NBA’s stars, including Cunningham, Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic. Follow along below with each player’s games played count. 

NBA awards eligibility tracker

With Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic both back on the court after dealing with injuries, each has a path to 65 games. MVP favorite Gilgeous-Alexander is set to clear the bar with some wiggle room, while Jokic can only miss one more game if he wants to be eligible for awards.

Cunningham, however, is in a different boat. While he has played 61 games, he is out with a collapsed lung and isn’t sure when he will play again. 76ers star Tyrese Maxey is also out with a finger injury as he sits at 61 games played. While Maxey isn’t in MVP contention, an All-NBA spot could be on the line. 

Here are the latest games played totals for notable award and All-NBA contenders:

An exception to the 65-game rule allows players to retain award eligibility if they suffer a season-ending injury with at least 62 games played, but that doesn’t apply to Maxey or Cunningham even if they can’t return, as they have each played only 61 games. 

NBA 65-game rule, explained

Starting with the 2023-24 season, NBA rules state that players must appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, and Most Improved Player awards, as well as All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams. The rule doesn’t apply to the Rookie of the Year or Sixth Man of the Year awards.

The rule was agreed upon in the league’s current collective bargaining agreement to help combat the trend of “load management,” in which teams rested players to either keep them fresh or nurse minor ailments.

Despite the rule, stars continue to miss games. As of March 25, only two of the NBA’s 45 20-point-per-game scorers rank among the top 25 in games played: Minnesota’s Julius Randle and Orlando’s Desmond Bane.

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Fans should not worry. The Pistons head coach has a solid plan for that and for a successful postseason to materialize.

Pistons plan on changing schemes to ease Cunningham-less squad

Notably, Cunningham has been diagnosed with a collapsed lung. There is still not a definite timeline for his injury return but it might extend into the NBA Playoffs. Coach Bickerstaff knows the difficulty of winning games without their primary ballhandler and a great perimeter defenders. This is why he plans to tighten up on defense more than ever, via Jeff Zillgitt of NBA.com.

“A big picture thing for us is the goal to win the possession game If you’re getting steals, if you’re getting blocks, it lowers the amount of shot attempts that people get. We try to limit that as best we possibly can.  It’s everybody taking up a little bit more. You’re not going to be able to replace what he does individually. But collectively, if everybody just plays to the best of their abilities and plays to their strength and ticks it up a little bit more, collectively we can get the job done. And we’ve proven that all year,” Bickerstaff said.

The Pistons know that they will have to fill Cunningham’s void through committee. This is exactly what they did against a postseason-hungry Golden State Warriors. Coach Bickerstaff’s schemes prevented the Warriors from gaining any sort of momentum because they generated 16 steals to notch 32 points off turnovers. Not to mention, the Pistons also bothered nearly all of the Warriors shots which led them to only get a 46.1% field goal percentage and a subpar 36.4% from beyond the arc.

On the offensive side of things, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Daniss Jenkins, and even Paul Reed became offensive facilitators. These four guys combined for 20 assists. There is still much work to do because the Pistons shot at a horrid 23.8% clip from three-point range without Cunningham. Coach Bickerstaff admitted that those woes will be tougher to patch up.

“Tough for Cade to go through what he’s going through now — how important he is to the team, but how important being with his team is to him It doesn’t make it easy. He’s a huge part of what we do from a leadership standpoint. Obviously, the talent’s there, but just being around him every single day makes people’s days better. And we’ll miss that. But it’s our responsibility to keep pushing forward. And we know he’s there rooting for us, pulling for us. When he’s around, he’ll be cheering for us, help coaching, leading, all those things,” the Pistons coach added.

The Pistons are still four games ahead of the Celtics in the standings. If they keep this defensive intensity up while also figuring out how to operate the offense better, they are a team to fear in the NBA Playoffs with or without Cade Cunningham.

More NBA News:

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It isn’t entirely clear when the injury occurred or how, but Cunningham left the team’s game on Tuesday, March 17, against the Washington Wizards in the first quarter and didn’t return. The injury could have happened in the game, or could have been the result of something before the game that he was trying to play through.

A collapsed lung is arguably one of the scariest-sounding injuries. It makes it seem like the lung isn’t functioning anymore, but it really is air leaking into the space between the lung and chest, creating pressure that prevents the lung from fully inflating, causing pain and shortness of breath.

Even though the true injury isn’t as bad as it sounds, it still takes time to recover from and manage, which is why Cunningham will miss extended time for the Pistons.  

Here is more on Cunningham’s injury and why it will cause him to miss extended time. 

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Cade Cunningham collapsed lung

The Pistons announced on Thursday morning that their star point guard will be missing some time. Detroit confirmed that Cunningham has been diagnosed with a “left lung pneumothorax,” also known as a collapsed lung.

The press release states that Cunningham left the team’s game on Tuesday, March 17, in the first quarter and didn’t return, insinuating the injury occurred then. Cunningham will be re-evaluated in two weeks. 

How did Cade Cunningham get a collapsed lung?

The exact time and cause of Cunningham’s collapsed lung are unknown.

Because he left the game against the Wizards in the first quarter and didn’t return, the assumption is that it happened in the game. Collapsed lungs can also occur during physical therapy, so it could have been caused by something before the game, too. 

This section will be updated when the cause is determined/reported. 

Cade Cunningham collapsed lung recovery timeline

Collapsed lungs are much more common in sports with high contact rates, such as the NFL. There have been some cases in the NBA, though, and in those, the average time lost for the player was 26 days, or around 11 games, per Jeff Stotts. It will come down to how quickly Cunningham can recover and ramp back up to basketball shape and extended workouts without any setbacks. 

For now, the Pistons said that he will be re-evaluated in two weeks. 

Athletes with a collapsed lung 

The most recent high-profile collapsed lung case in sports before the Cunningham injury happened in the 2025 NFL season. Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt suffered the injury when he was getting treatment done, and it was from dry needling. He missed three games for Pittsburgh from Week 15 through Week 17, but was able to return in Week 18 for the final game of the regular season. All told, he missed just shy of a month of action.

The NBA has had cases of collapsed lungs before. Gerald Wallace and Terrence Jones both had collapsed lungs, and guard C.J. McCollum actually dealt with the injury twice. 

Wallace was fouled by former Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum in mid-January 2009. He was diagnosed with a collapsed lung and didn’t return until after the All-Star break on February 17. With the break happening during his injury, he missed just seven games. 

Jones’ injury also occurred during a game. He was initially hurt on March 19, 2015, and returned on April 1, 2015. Jones’s collapsed lung was partial, which could have contributed to his quicker return than what Cunningham is looking at. 

McCollum suffered a collapsed lung in both 2021 and 2023, both in his right lung. The 2021 injury sidelined him for about six weeks, and he missed 18 games. In 2023, he missed a little over three weeks, out for 12 games. 

Can Cade Cunningham win MVP?

The NBA implemented a new rule in the 2023-24 season that stated players had to play at least 65 games out of the 82-game regular season to be eligible for awards. The hope was that this would cut down on load management. 

As of the injury, the Pistons had played 68 games and Cunningham had suited up for 61 of them. Detroit has 14 games left, and the star guard will have to play in four of them to be eligible to win MVP. It will come down to his recovery timeline, but if he misses 10 games and returns for the final four, he will be eligible. 

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As they are set to host the Phoenix Suns, the Pistons will get a chance to build on their status as one of the NBA’s top teams as we reach the halfway point of January.

Lately, the one-time star Cunningham has been dealing with a wrist injury. Labeled as a contusion, Cunningham’s setback has caused him to miss the Pistons’ previous two games. In his absence, the Pistons split matchups.

The first game against the Chicago Bulls resulted in a 108-93 win for the Pistons. They collected their third win a row on January 7. When taking on the surging Los Angeles Clippers a few nights later, the Pistons came up short with a 98-92 loss. In Cunningham’s absence this year, the Pistons are 4-1.

They won’t have to worry about playing without him against Phoenix on Thursday. Barring any sudden changes, Cunningham is expected to play, as he was left off the injury report. 

More NBA news: Pistons legend Andre Drummond chimes in on the infamous Maggette-Singler brawl

This season, Cunningham has appeared in 33 games. Seeing the court for 35.6 minutes per game, he is putting up a career-high 26.7 points per game, while shooting 46 percent from the field and 34 percent from three. 

Along with his scoring, Cunningham has produced nearly 10 assists per game, while coming down with 6.2 rebounds per game. He is once again on pace to make the All-Star team, marking the second appearance of his career.

Along with Cunningham, the Pistons are expected to get Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris, and Isaiah Stewart back. They are all listed as probable on the injury report. 

The 28-10 Pistons hold a four-game lead over the New York Knicks. They will look to build on that with a 7 PM ET tip on Thursday night. 

More Pistons news: Would the Pistons trading for Michael Porter Jr. to replace Tobias Harris be a significant upgrade?

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Unfortunately, the Pistons were hit with an unsettling bit of news prior to their faceoff, as the availability of their early-season MVP candidate Cade Cunningham was called into question.

According to an update from the team’s X/Twitter account, Cunningham’s status appears to be up for interpretation as he continues to recover from a left hip contusion.

Detroit labeled the 6-foot-6 floor general and 2025 All-Star as questionable for the highly anticipated battle against Philadelphia, a contest that could prove to be a massive momentum-shifter for either side.

Cunningham has risen to the No. 6 spot the NBA’s MVP ladder due to exemplary individual play combined with the Pistons’ recent team success.

If Detroit is tasked with fending off Maxey and stellar rookie guard VJ Edgecombe with their leader sidelined with a hip injury, the team will have to rely heavily upon their improving 21-year-old center Jalen Duren for an added offensive spark. That is, if he also suits up for the contest and bypasses his own questionable tag (right ankle sprain).

Through 11 appearances in 2025-26, Cunningham has posted incredible box score figures of 27.5 points, 9.9 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals on a 53.8% true shooting percentage.

If Duren is unavailable, the Pistons could lean on their sixth-year center Paul Reed, as the 6-foot-9 frontcourt force is coming off of a statement performance in a 124-113 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, when he contributed 28 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and four steals in 31 minutes of action.

More NBA: Nuggets’ Christian Braun to miss significant time with ankle injury

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Even still, the team’s final roster might not be set.

Though it would be difficult for the Pistons’ front office to toy around with their roster by scouring the trade market after a phenomenal start, the franchise could be ready to build upon their success by completing a blockbuster swap in the near future.

According to Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, that’s a possibility that can grow in likelihood as the season rolls along. In fact, Buckley recently spoke on Detroit’s potential ability to snag 10-time All-Star center and 2020 NBA champion Anthony Davis from the Dallas Mavericks to assist their early MVP candidate Cade Cunningham.

“Davis, at least, still has some marketability, although his ongoing availability issues clearly cut into that,” Buckley wrote Wednesday.

“Still, if a team like Detroit views him as the missing piece, the Mavs could collect a decent number of assets.”

“The draft picks would be the obvious draw, but Ivey, when healthy, could give some overdue attention to the point guard spot, while Stewart and other Dallas veterans would have suitors if (should be when) the Mavs circle back to the market in search of more picks and young players.”

In a hypothetical swap between two franchises trending in opposite directions, Buckley has Detroit shipping Jaden Ivey, Tobias Harris, Isaiah Stewart, two first-round picks and two second-round picks to Dallas in exchange for their future Hall of Famer.

Following the dismissal of the Mavericks’ former general manager Nico Harrison on Tuesday, Davis’ name has been thrown in countless trade rumors, as plenty of fans and media members alike are expecting a rebuild to commence in Dallas.

The 32-year-old big man’s injury history is a massive concern for a young, up-and-coming group like the Pistons, but there’s no question that a healthy Davis could plausibly push the team over the top in the East.

In just five outings for the Mavericks this season before suffering a calf injury, the 5-time All-NBA Team selection has averaged 20.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks in only 29.8 minutes of action, proving to remain a dominant force when available.

As a potential pick-and-roll partner for Cunningham and frontcourt partner on both ends for the Pistons’ rising center Jalen Duren (19.4 points, 12.0 rebounds), it would be hard to envision the trio not meshing together seamlessly.

However, the question of whether Davis can remain healthy through an entire season and subsequent playoff run still looms large.

More NBA: Dirk Nowitzki says Mavericks should have fired Nico Harrison over the summer

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