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The 65-Game Gauntlet: Who’s In, Who’s Out, and Who’s Fighting for NBA Awards Eligibility

As the 2025-26 NBA regular season barrels toward its final buzzer, the race for hardware is no longer just about stats, highlight reels, or team records. For a growing list of superstars and role players alike, the first and most critical hurdle is purely mathematical: did they play enough?

Before 2023, award voters had near-total freedom. A player could miss 30 games and still walk away with MVP if their “narrative” was strong enough. But in an era defined by load management, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association struck a deal. Enter the 65-game rule—a provision that has sparked more debate over the last three seasons than almost any on-court rule change.

With a panel of 125 media members preparing to vote on MVP, Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY), All-NBA, All-Defense, and Most Improved Player, let’s break down exactly who is eligible, who is not, and which stars are sweating out the final week of the season.

Quick Refresher: How the Rule Works

• Which awards are affected? MVP, DPOY, All-NBA, All-Defense, Most Improved Player. (Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, and All-Rookie teams are exempt.)
• What counts as a game? A player needs at least 20 minutes. However, they get two “near-miss” allowances where they can log 15–19 minutes.
• Exceptions: A season-ending injury after game No. 62 preserves eligibility. There’s also an “Extraordinary Circumstance Challenge” for unique cases—like missing games for a child’s birth.

Now, let’s meet the eligible, the hopeful, and the heartbroken.

Already Locked In: The 65-Game Club

These players have officially crossed the threshold and can now focus solely on their résumés.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) – The reigning MVP and betting favorite to repeat survived an abdominal scare, returned on time, and crossed the line with a week to spare. He’s having an even better shooting season for the league-leading Thunder.

Jaylen Brown (Celtics) – With Jayson Tatum sidelined most of the season, Brown elevated into a dark-horse MVP candidate. Career-best scoring, rebounding, and assists—plus elite defense—make him an All-NBA lock.

Tyrese Maxey (76ers) – A torrid first half, a pinky finger injury, and a speedy return later, Maxey is back guiding Philadelphia to the postseason. Expect his name on an All-NBA ballot.

Kevin Durant (Rockets) – At 37, Durant is second in the NBA in total minutes and still averaging nearly 26 points per game. Age is just a number; eligibility is not.

Other notable locks: Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), Jamal Murray (Nuggets), Scottie Barnes (Raptors), Chet Holmgren (Thunder), Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves), and rookie sensation Kon Knueppel (Hornets), who leads the entire NBA in 3-pointers made.

The Curious Case of Luka Dončić

Here’s where the rule gets weird.

Dončić injured his hamstring in his 64th game of the season. The season-ending injury exception requires the injury to occur after game No. 62—but Dončić hopes to return in the playoffs, which voids that clause.

Instead, he’s pursuing the “Extraordinary Circumstance Challenge,” arguing that two missed games in December (for the birth of his daughter in Slovenia) should not count against him. If granted, he’d clear the 65-game spirit threshold. A “challenge expert” chosen by the league and union will rule on this after the season ends, before official ballots are due.

Stay tuned.

Tracking to Be Eligible: The Final-Week Watchers

These stars aren’t there yet, but they can still punch their ticket.

• Nikola Jokić (Nuggets) – Missed 16 games with a knee injury but is back. Needs two more games of 20+ minutes. Never count out the three-time MVP.
• Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) – Needs just one more game of 20+ minutes, but a rib contusion Monday complicated things. If eligible, DPOY is essentially his. He might even steal MVP votes.
• Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) – The former face of load management needs three of four games. If he gets there, All-NBA is likely.
• Jalen Duren (Pistons) – Has played enough games, but four don’t count (sub-15 minutes). Needs one final 20-minute game to qualify for a potential max contract escalator.
• Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers) – The most painful case. A midseason back injury cost him 16 games. He must play 20+ minutes in all three remaining games to reach 65. He’s the favorite for Most Improved Player and an All-NBA candidate. Losing him to a technicality would be a shame.

Also tracking: Cooper Flagg (Mavericks), Evan Mobley (Cavaliers), Draymond Green (Warriors), Lu Dort (Thunder), and Ausar Thompson (Pistons).

Ineligible: The Stars Who Fell Short

This is the heartbreaking section. No awards. No All-NBA. No DPOY. Nothing.

• Cade Cunningham (Pistons) – The face of Detroit’s turnaround suffered a punctured lung in his 61st game, one short of the season-ending exception. The NBPA called the rule “arbitrary and overly rigid.” Cunningham may join Dončić in filing a grievance.
• Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves) – Returned from knee soreness with exactly eight games left… then got sick and missed an April 2 contest. End of story.
• Devin Booker (Suns) – Has played 62 games, but only 60 count due to two sub-10-minute exits. With four games left, the math doesn’t work.
• LeBron James (Lakers) – Missed his 18th game in February, ending a 21-year All-NBA streak. (He would’ve been ineligible four times under this rule.)
• Zion Williamson (Pelicans) – Played 62 games! But two didn’t count due to low minutes. So close, yet so far.

Other notable ineligibles: Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Haliburton, Trae Young, Anthony Davis, Jimmy Butler, and defensive studs like Alex Caruso, Marcus Smart, and Jrue Holiday.

The Unfortunate Casualty: Moussa Diabaté

Let’s end with a name you might not know—but should.

Moussa Diabaté, the 27-year-old Hornets rebounding machine, has played in 70 games. But 14 of those were under 20 minutes, mostly before Jan. 1, when he was still fighting for a rotation spot. Once he locked down the starting center role, he became a monster on the glass.

Shouldn’t in-season improvement count for Most Improved Player?

The rule says no. And that’s exactly why the 65-game debate isn’t going away anytime soon.

Final Thoughts

The 65-game rule has accomplished what it set out to do: stars are playing more often. But it has also created a new layer of drama—and, some would argue, injustice.

As the regular season winds down, keep an eye on Jokić, Wembanyama, and especially Dončić’s grievance. The awards ballots won’t be finalized until the “challenge expert” speaks.

One thing is certain: eligibility is now just as compelling as performance. And that, for better or worse, is the new NBA.