Luka Doncic will be eligible for the NBA's MVP race despite not playing in the 65-game minimum required by the league

Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) - Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham have been ruled eligible for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player race despite not meeting the 65-game minimum to enter the running for the honor, the league said Thursday.

Los Angeles Lakers star Doncic and Detroit Pistons ace Cunningham both fell just short of playing in the required number of games to be eligible for the NBA’s end-of-season awards, with Cunningham playing in 63 games and Doncic in 64.

But the duo will be part of the NBA’s tightly-contested MVP race after the league and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) ruled there were “extraordinary circumstances” surrounding each player.

Cunningham’s regular season games tally was abbreviated after he suffered a collapsed lung in March which led to him missing 12 games.

Doncic, who was sidelined for several games following a hamstring injury earlier this month after inspiring a Lakers late-season resurgence, also missed two games to attend the birth of his daughter in Slovenia.

“The NBA and NBPA agreed that, taking into account the totality of the circumstances for Cunningham and Doncic, each player qualified for awards under the extraordinary circumstances provision in the CBA (collective bargaining agreement),” the NBA said in a statement.

However the league turned down a request from Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards to be included in the awards picture.

Edwards played in 60 games and filed a bid for inclusion under the same “extraordinary circumstances” rules.

“Edwards’ challenge was denied and, as a result, he is not eligible for annual awards for the 2025-26 NBA regular season,” the NBA said.

The decision to reject Edwards’ appeal drew a baffled response from Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch on Thursday as his team prepared for their playoff opener against the Denver Nuggets this weekend.

“It sure would be nice to hear an explanation as to why Anthony was denied his 65 games, particularly when you look at the history of Anthony, who plays all the time and has played all the time,” Finch told reporters.

“I’m not sure why we have a rule if we have an appeals process that is overturned in two-thirds of the cases that were held before it. It feels more like a suggestion than a rule,” Finch added, before stressing that his remarks were not a criticism of Doncic or Cunningham.

“Those guys are super deserving and their injuries are legitimate. It has nothing to do with them – but so are Anthony’s and Anthony’s situation,” Finch said.

“We’ve never rested him. That’s not how he’s been. It just feels a little unfortunate that he was the only one left out.”

This season’s MVP race is regarded as one of the closest for years, with Doncic and Cunningham now amongst a pool of contenders led by Oklahoma City Thunder’s reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama and the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic.