Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Detroit Pistons floor general Cade Cunningham are both eligible for the NBA’s end-of-season awards after the league and players’ association ruled in favor of their extraordinary circumstances challenges, the governing bodies announced Thursday.
Doncic fell one qualified game short of the 65-game requirement. He missed two contests in December for the birth of his daughter in Slovenia.
Meanwhile, Cunningham reached 63 qualified appearances but was sidelined for three weeks after suffering a collapsed lung March 17. The two-time All-Star’s injury was considered a condition as opposed to a basketball injury, which factored into the decision to grant him eligibility, a source told The Athletic’s Dan Woike, Sam Amick, and Hunter Patterson.