Cade Cunningham Could Lose Awards Over 65 Game Rule

The NBPA is pushing to change the 65-game requirement after Cade Cunningham’s collapsed lung could leave him short of award eligibility. Cunningham, averaging 24.5 points and 9.9 assists and leading the Pistons, has played 61 games and will miss at least eight. The union called his potential ineligibility "a clear indictment of the 65-game rule." Commissioner Adam Silver said, "I'm not ready to say it's not working." Merlin sees a tug of war between protecting award integrity and handling serious injuries. The rule was meant to reward durability and curb rest games, but it can be blunt when stars suffer bad luck. Silver wants more time; the union wants a medical exception. If Cunningham misses awards, pressure for reform will grow and the league may add a discretionary medical carve out.