Luka Doncic And Cade Cunningham Now Eligible For NBA MVP Award After Landmark Ruling

Last Updated:April 17, 2026, 10:11 IST

NBA rules Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham eligible for MVP despite missing 65 game mark under extraordinary circumstances, denies Anthony Edwards appeal, sparking criticism

Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham have been ruled eligible for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player race despite not meeting the 65-game minimum required for consideration, the league announced Thursday.

Los Angeles Lakers star Doncic and Detroit Pistons standout Cunningham both fell just short of the threshold for end-of-season awards, with Cunningham appearing in 63 games and Doncic in 64.

However, both will be included in the NBA’s tightly contested MVP race after the league and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) determined there were “extraordinary circumstances" in each case.

Cunningham’s regular-season total was cut short after he suffered a collapsed lung in March, causing him to miss 12 games.

Luka Doncic, who missed several games due to a hamstring injury earlier this month after sparking a late-season resurgence for the Lakers, also sat out two games to attend the birth of his daughter in Slovenia.

“The NBA and NBPA agreed that, taking into account the totality of the circumstances for Cunningham and Doncic, each player qualified for awards under the extraordinary circumstances provision in the CBA (collective bargaining agreement)," the NBA said in a statement.

Anthony Edwards Rejected And Ineligible

By contrast, the league rejected a request from Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards to be deemed eligible.

Edwards played in 60 games and sought inclusion under the same “extraordinary circumstances" clause.

“Edwards’ challenge was denied and, as a result, he is not eligible for annual awards for the 2025-26 NBA regular season," the NBA said.

The decision to deny Edwards’ appeal drew a puzzled reaction from Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch on Thursday as his team prepared for their playoff opener against the Denver Nuggets this weekend.

“It sure would be nice to hear an explanation as to why Anthony was denied his 65 games, particularly when you look at the history of Anthony, who plays all the time and has played all the time," Finch told reporters.

“I’m not sure why we have a rule if we have an appeals process that is overturned in two-thirds of the cases that were held before it. It feels more like a suggestion than a rule," Finch added, emphasising that his comments were not a criticism of Doncic or Cunningham.

“Those guys are super deserving and their injuries are legitimate. It has nothing to do with them — but so are Anthony’s and Anthony’s situation," Finch said.

“We’ve never rested him. That’s not how he’s been. It just feels a little unfortunate that he was the only one left out."

Who Can Win MVP Award?

This season’s MVP race is considered one of the closest in years, with Doncic and Cunningham now joining a field of contenders led by Oklahoma City Thunder’s reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama and the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic.

(With inputs from Agencies)

News sports nba Luka Doncic And Cade Cunningham Now Eligible For NBA MVP Award After Landmark Ruling

Read More