NBPA pushing to save Cade Cunningham award eligibility with Pistons

Cade Cunningham is at risk of becoming ineligible for end of season awards. The National Basketball Players Association wants to keep his eligibility intact. The NBPA is pushing for an amendment of the league's 65-game rule, which requires players to play at least 20 minutes in a minimum of 65 games to earn individual honors, such as All-NBA or MVP.

Cunningham is at risk of missing the rest of the regular season with a collapsed left lung . Doing so would leave him five games short of the eligibility cut-off. It would be a rough outcome for Cunningham, who has put himself firmly in the All-NBA First Team discussion by leading the Pistons to their best season in nearly two decades.

SHAWN WINDSOR: Daniss Jenkins was best player on the court against Luka and LeBron "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," the union told national media outlets, including ESPN , through a spokesperson. "Since its implementation, far too many deserving players have been unfairly disqualified from end-of-season honors by this arbitrary and overly rigid quota. " Cunningham is averaging 24.

5 points, 9. 9 assists, 5. 6 rebounds, 1.