December 7, 2025 — Fewer than seven weeks into the 2025-26 NBA season, a growing list of marquee players has lost eligibility for end-of-season awards because they will not reach the league’s new 65-game minimum.
For some veterans, the penalty is mostly symbolic. Jayson Tatum is now certain to miss the All-NBA First Team after appearing on that roster four straight years, while LeBron James risks ending an All-NBA streak that dates back to his 2003-04 rookie campaign.
In other cases, the rule directly affects future earnings. When Jalen Williams sat out his 18th contest, his upcoming maximum-salary rookie-scale extension was locked in at 25% of next season’s salary cap instead of a potential 30%, a change projected to save the Thunder roughly $48 million over the next five years.
The same threshold looms over several additional stars who can no longer afford prolonged absences. The situation is also shaping roster decisions across the league, including the Clippers’ options with Chris Paul, the Warriors’ timing on signing Seth Curry, and the hurdles hard-capped teams face when two-way players push for standard contracts.
Source: Hoops Rumors
