The NBA and National Basketball Players Association have agreed that Luka Dončić and Cade Cunningham will be eligible for individual awards in the 2024-25 season despite not meeting the usual minimum games requirement.
The Detroit Pistons point guard played in 63 games after missing 12 due to a collapsed lung diagnosed in March, while the Los Angeles Lakers player appeared in 64 games, missing two occasions for the birth of his daughter in Slovenia. Both situations have been considered under the "extraordinary circumstances" clause of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
In contrast, Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves will not be eligible for the awards. The shooting guard, with 60 games played, filed an appeal under that same clause, but it was rejected by an independent arbitrator.
The ruling thus clarifies one of the most debated points of the NBA's new awards framework, marking differences in how the exceptions criterion is applied within the CBA.