Detroit Pistons franchise player Cade Cunningham has become the latest to discuss the NBA’s controversial 65-game rule. Unanimously considered a top-five MVP candidate, Cunningham is now at risk of being ineligible for any individual end-of-season honors after suffering a freak injury.
NBPA Calls For Changes To NBA’s 65-Game Rule
Several prominent voices in the NBA community believe Cunningham’s current status should be the final straw that results in the rule being changed or abolished. On Tuesday, the National Basketball Players Association issued a statement regarding the rising tension.
NBA insider Alex Kennedy revealed the NBPA’s latest comments on X, highlighting the growing frustration with the league’s eligibility requirements.
The NBPA weighs in on the debate surrounding the NBA’s 65-game rule after Cade Cunningham’s injury, per a spokesperson: pic.twitter.com/0D0R0Uo4Kl
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) March 24, 2026
An NBPA spokesperson said, “Cade Cunningham’s potential ineligibility for postseason awards after a career-defining season is a clear indictment of the 65-game rule and yet another example of why it must be abolished or reformed to create an exception for significant injuries. Since its implementation, far too many deserving players have been unfairly disqualified from end-of-season honors by this arbitrary and overly rigid quota.”
The Detroit Pistons shocked the league when they announced on March 19 that Cunningham suffered a left lung pneumothorax, or collapsed lung, that could potentially rule him out for the rest of the regular season. The injury occurred during a March 17 win over the Washington Wizards after a collision with Tre Johnson.
Cunningham has helped lead Detroit to the top of the Eastern Conference while averaging 24.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 9.9 assists per game. The issue at hand is that Cunningham has played in 61 games that count toward the threshold this season. He must play at least 20 minutes in four more games before the end of the regular season to secure eligibility for All-NBA and MVP honors.
Cade Cunningham’s agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports, to ESPN: “Cade has delivered a first-team All-NBA season. If he falls just short of an arbitrary games-played threshold due to legitimate injury, it should not disqualify him from recognition he has clearly earned over the…
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 24, 2026
Current and former players have spoken out in support of Cunningham while criticizing the league. Commissioner Adam Silver installed the 65-game rule at the start of the 2023-24 season as an incentive for star players to take the regular season more seriously. There was initial support for the rule, as many felt load management was hurting the product.
However, the backlash has been swift. As the NBPA points out, there have been multiple debatable cases of ineligibility. Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant fell three games short of eligibility last season and was not named to an All-NBA team despite averaging 26.6 points per game while shooting 52.7% from the field and 43.0% from three.
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić also missed out on All-NBA honors after suffering a significant injury. He appeared in 50 games last season, and many argued he did enough to earn a selection after averaging 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game.
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Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić could join Cunningham in being ineligible, further shaking up the MVP race. Jokić has played 62 games this season and must appear in three of Denver’s final 10 regular-season games to reach the 65-game threshold.
As the NBPA and others continue to put pressure on this topic, Silver will have no choice but to address it soon.
