Luka Doncic (Los Angeles Lakers) and Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons) will be eligible for the MVP and other individual awards at the end of the season despite not fulfilling the rule of playing in 65 regular season games. A rule that many see unfair and will stay for the time being, but the league will make an exception for those two players due to "extraordinary circumstances".
Doncic played 64 games for Lakers, but missed two to attend the birth of his daughter in Slovenia, while Cunningham played 63 games, but missed 12 due to a collapsed lung diagnosed on March 17: those are the reasons cited by NBA that factored in their decision. Both players appealed, and the league has 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 rule for playing a minimum of matches each regular season to be eligible for the best player of the season makes sense, as it rewards consistency. However, it causes that, if a great player is injured for a prolonged period of time, they may not be eligible. This year, Doncic and Cunningham's cases were very exceptional, as they barely reached the mark and had very good reasons to miss some games. However, Anthony Edwards for the Minnesota Timberwolves has been denied the same treatment before an independent arbitrator, after playing in 60 games.
According to betting predictions, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains favourite to win MVP award for second year in a row, followed by Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic.
