Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić and Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham have won their extraordinary circumstances challenge to the NBA‘s 65-game rule, and will both be eligible for major postseason honors, including MVP and All-NBA teams, the league announced Thursday.
“The NBA and NBPA agreed that, taking into account the totality of the circumstances for Cunningham and Dončić, each player qualified for awards under the extraordinary circumstances provision in the CBA,” the league and the players union said in a joint statement.
Additionally, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards filed an appeal, but his challenge was denied by an independent arbitrator and he will not be eligible for awards. Edwards appeared in 61 games, though only 60 counted toward the threshold.
Dončić, who missed the last five games of the season due to a hamstring injury, appeared in 64 games, but missed two games in December when he traveled to his native Slovenia for the birth of his daughter. Cunningham also appeared in 64 games, though only 63 of them counted toward the threshold since he left the Pistons’ March 17 game after five minutes because he was suffering from a collapsed lung. The injury forced Cunningham to sit out 11 games down the stretch.
Neither Dončić nor Cunningham are expected to win MVP, but both are likely to finish in the top five, which does matter historically. Furthermore, both have a strong case to make the All-NBA First Team. Dončić is seeking that honor for the sixth time in eight seasons, while Cunningham has never earned a spot. At the very least, both are now guaranteed a place on one of the All-NBA teams, which, again, does matter for players’ legacies and for an accurate accounting of the season.
While this ruling is good news for Dončić, his status for the playoffs remains in question. He recently made a trip to Spain to undergo treatment for his hamstring in the hope that it could speed up his recovery, but Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters Tuesday that both Dončić and Austin Reaves (oblique) remain “out indefinitely.”
The Lakers will begin their first-round series against the Houston Rockets on Saturday, but there are significant breaks between Games 2 (April 21) and 3 (April 24) and Games 4 (April 26) and 5 (April 29). If LeBron James and the Lakers are able to extend the series, there’s a chance that Dončić and Reaves could return at some point.
Lakers’ Luka Dončić reportedly set to return from Spain ahead of opening playoff series after injury treatment
James Herbert
As for the Pistons, they held on to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and won 60 games for the first time since 2006 despite Cunningham’s extended absence late in the campaign. Cunningham returned on April 8 and played in the final three games of the season and will be ready to go for their playoff opener on Sunday.
The Pistons are still awaiting their opponent and will face the winner of Thursday’s Play-In Tournament finale between the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets.
