Photo: Getty Images
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić and Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham will both be eligible for the 2025-26 NBA MVP after the NBA and NBA Players Association ruled in their favor on their Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge Thursday (April 16), sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to ESPN's Shams Charania on Thursday (April 16).
"Just in: The NBA and NBPA have ruled in favor of Lakers' Luka Doncic and Pistons' Cade Cunningham on their Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge for the 65-game award rule, making both eligible for all 2025-26 season honors such as MVP and All-NBA teams, sources tell ESPN," Charania wrote on his X account.
NBA players must play in 65 of 82 games to be eligible for annual end-of-season awards. Dončić appeared in 64 games, averaging a league-best 33.5 points, along with 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds, before missing two games in December for the birth of his child abroad.
Cunningham was also limited 64 games after being diagnosed with a collapsed lung last month. The former No. 1 overall pick averaged 23.9 points, 9.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, who was a finalists for the MVP Award in 2024 and 2025, also reportedly filed a challenge "his case was advanced to an independent arbitrator, but was denied and is not eligible for awards," the sources confirmed to Charania.