NBPA seeks revisions to 65-game requirement after Cade Cunningham injury
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The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) urged the NBA on Tuesday to amend its 65-game eligibility rule for postseason awards, citing Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham as the latest example of unintended consequences.
In a statement, the union said Cunningham’s “career-defining season” is in jeopardy of going unrewarded because he is projected to fall short of the league’s threshold. “Far too many deserving players have been unfairly disqualified from end-of-season honors,” the NBPA declared.
Cunningham has appeared in 61 games but was diagnosed with a collapsed lung, an injury that could sideline him for the rest of the regular season. He played only five minutes in his last outing, leaving him five games shy of the 65-game mark required to qualify for awards such as MVP, All-NBA and Most Improved Player.
The policy, introduced this season to discourage load management, counts a game only if a player logs at least 20 minutes. A hardship exception applies to season-ending injuries, but it activates only after a player reaches 62 qualifying games—one more than Cunningham’s current total.
Missing the cutoff not only eliminates players from award consideration but can also affect contract incentives tied to those honors. Before his injury, Cunningham had been mentioned in both the MVP conversation and the race for an All-NBA spot.
Source: Hoops Wire
