After a lot of hue and cry about the 65-game rule, which ruled out several NBA superstars from eligibility for the postseason awards, the NBA has found a way to find a middle ground, relaxing the rule to some extent and making the Los Angeles Lakers Luka Doncic and the Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham eligible for the awards despite not meeting the 65-game rule. While it has been a welcome call for Doncic and Cunningham, it could be a major blow for another Pistons star’s fortunes.
According to NBA Insider Brett Spiegel, the Detroit Pistons star Jalen Duren, who got the nod for his first All-Star game this season, could miss out on $40+ million despite being exceptional for the franchise and also meeting all the regulations needed to be a part of the NBA awards.
With Doncic and Cunningham’s addition to the postseason awards and the honorary NBA teams, there could be a possibility of Duren missing out on the same, which would see him miss out on more than $40 million, which he otherwise would have gotten as a bonus on his designated Rookie max deal with the Pistons.
This is the other significant ramification of the NBA moving goal posts for the 65-game rule.
Jalen Duren now potentially loses out on $40+ million when he met all the criteria, did things the right way, and should be All-NBA. https://t.co/WtjsjifMZa
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) April 16, 2026
Duren has been one of the most consistent players for the Pistons this season. The big man has been a consistent threat to any frontcourt playmaker, both offensively and on the boards.
While Cunningham has earned a lot of plaudits for the Pistons’ finishing with the best record in the Eastern Conference, Duren also deserves equal or more appreciation. It is something voters should consider when casting votes for the All-NBA teams.
The 13th overall pick from the 2022 NBA Draft has been with the Pistons since the start of his NBA career, and he has finally found his feet in the league. The 22-year-old has averaged 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game across 70 games this season while shooting 65% from the field. The young center will remain a vital cog in the Pistons’ playoff journey.
Despite his exceptional season, Duren may miss out on All-NBA team selections, especially with Deni Avdija delivering some exceptional performances for the Portland Trail Blazers. There’s a chance voters may be influenced by Avdija’s performances, which could land the Portland star a spot on the All-NBA team over Duren.
The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) together decided to rule in favor of Doncic and Cunningham in the ‘Extraordinary Circumstances’ challenge for not being able to meet the 65-game rule. So with this, both the superstars are back in contention for the All-NBA awards set to be out once the Play-In tournament concludes.
Here’s why Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham were cleared for the NBA awards, but Anthony Edwards isnt
With the regular season coming to an end, all three superstars, Luka Doncic, Cade Cunningham, and Anthony Edwards, didn’t meet the 65-game rule for various factors, and they were not eligible for the postseason awards despite putting up exceptional performances throughout the campaign. Hence, all three guards appealed to the NBA to ease eligibility requirements due to unforeseen circumstances.
The 65-game rule in the NBA has received massive backlash, with several players this season and in the past falling out of contention after failing to meet the requirements to become eligible for postseason awards.
However, on Thursday, Doncic and Cunningham received positive responses to their appeals from the NBA and are now eligible for postseason awards. But Edwards’ appeal was rejected, and he won’t be eligible for the awards like his two fellow guards.
Now let us take a look at the situation one by one – starting with Doncic, the Los Angeles Lakers star finished with 64 games before sustaining a hamstring injury, which kept him out for 11 straight games in the regular season. He finished a game short of reaching the eligibility criteria.
According to The Athletic‘s report, Doncic’s camp was aware of the idea of appealing to the NBA to ease eligibility requirements for valid reasons. The fact that the Slovenian missed two games due to the birth of his second daughter has made him eligible for postseason awards this season.
Following the NBA’s decision on Thursday, the Lakers star wrote a heartfelt post on X, thanking the authorities, the Lakers’ hierarchy, and the people who made this possible.
He wrote, “I am grateful to the NBPA for advocating on my behalf and to the NBA for their fair decision. It was so important to me to be present for the birth of my daughter in December, and I appreciate Mark, Jeanie, Rob, JJ, and the entire Lakers organization for fully supporting me and allowing me to travel to be there. This season has been so special to me because of what my teammates and I have been able to accomplish, and I am honored to have the opportunity to be considered for the league’s end-of-season awards.”
Cade Cunningham also had a similar fortune as the Detroit Pistons star finished the season with 64 games played, 63 of which were “qualified” under the rule. However, a collapsed lung meant the young guard had to be sidelined for an extensive period, and there’s no certainty that Cunningham will return to action in the playoffs.
Overall, he missed 12 games due to a collapsed lung, but before that, he was playing so well that he was in MVP conversations. So when he was set to miss out on the postseason awards despite performing so well, many people shared their disappointment. However, the NBA has now resolved the issue.
However, the same rule didn’t apply to Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, who featured in 61 games this season, with 60 of them qualifying for eligibility. He missed many games due to injury and eventually failed to meet the criteria. So he also appealed to the NBA to grant him an exemption on eligibility grounds, but his appeal was rejected.
Following the ruling, Ant’s business manager, Justin Holland, didn’t mince his words, expressing his strong disappointment with the selective treatment.
“Anthony and I appreciate the Players Association acting on our behalf. I’m a little confused about the forgiveness for Cade, who missed time for something that happened on the court, and not for Ant. Edwards missed time due to an infection, but wasn’t forgiven—it’s strange… but in the end, you already know that Ant doesn’t give a damn about it. He was p—– about not reaching 65 games, but not because he lost awards—he was pissed because it meant he couldn’t play all the games, which is what he’s tried to do since his first day in the NBA. You know the only thing he wants is a ring!”
It is baffling that Edwards didn’t get the exemption even after averaging a career-high 28.8 points per game this season. He has been improving every season and is easily one of the top 15 players in the league, gradually pushing the bar toward the top 10.
He has been on the All-NBA Second Team twice in his career, and this time it felt like the Wolves star could sneak into the All-NBA First Team. However, that possibility is gone, but Ant will look to respond to this frustration in the playoffs, helping his team make a deep postseason run.
