Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham have been dominated eligible for the NBA’s Most Priceless Participant race regardless of not assembly the 65-game minimal to enter the operating for the honour, the league mentioned Thursday.
Los Angeles Lakers star Doncic and Detroit Pistons ace Cunningham each fell simply wanting taking part in within the required variety of video games to be eligible for the NBA’s end-of-season awards, with Cunningham taking part in in 63 video games and Doncic in 64.
However the duo will probably be a part of the NBA’s tightly-contested MVP race after the league and Nationwide Basketball Gamers Affiliation (NBPA) dominated there have been “extraordinary circumstances” surrounding every participant.
Cunningham’s common season video games tally was abbreviated after he suffered a collapsed lung in March which led to him lacking 12 video games. Doncic, who was sidelined for a number of video games following a hamstring damage earlier this month after inspiring Lakers to a late-season resurgence, additionally missed two video games to attend the beginning of his daughter in Slovenia.
“The NBA and NBPA agreed that, making an allowance for the totality of the circumstances for Cunningham and Doncic, every participant certified for awards below the extraordinary circumstances provision within the CBA (collective bargaining settlement),” the NBA mentioned in a press release.
Nevertheless, the league turned down a request from Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards to be included within the awards image. Edwards performed in 60 video games and filed a bid for inclusion below the identical “extraordinary circumstances” guidelines.
“Edwards’ problem was denied and, consequently, he’s not eligible for annual awards for the 2025-26 NBA common season,” the NBA mentioned.
This season’s MVP race is considered one of many closest in years, with Doncic and Cunningham now amongst a pool of contenders led by Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder’s reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama and the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic.
Revealed on Apr 16, 2026