Luka Dončić, Cade Cunningham will be eligible for NBA awards after league, union rule on challenge to 65-game rule
The Lakers' Luka Dončić and Pistons' Cade Cunningham will be eligible for 2026 NBA awards after the league and players union ruled in their favor on their Extraordinary Circumstances Challenges.
The Lakers’ Luka Dončić and Pistons’ Cade Cunningham will be eligible for 2026 NBA awards after the league and players union ruled in their favor on their Extraordinary Circumstances Challenges, according to the NBA. Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, who dealt with injuries this season, also filed a challenge to the 65-game rule, but his case was denied by an independent arbitrator. The following has been released by the NBA.
pic. twitter. com/ZT2SldeN6X — NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 16, 2026 Dončić missed two games for the birth of his second child in December, and since dealt with injuries that saw him miss 11 more games, including the end of the regular season with a hamstring strain .
Cunningham was sidelined with a collapsed lung in mid-March. He missed 11 games and returned on April 8. This breaking news story will be updated.