Official ruling: Cunningham and Doncic eligible for awards; Edwards' appeal denied, disqualifying him from award consideration.

On April 16 Beijing time, according to the collective bargaining agreement reached between the NBA and the players' union, both parties jointly ruled: Detroit Pistons guard Cunningham and Los Angeles Lakers guard Doncic are eligible for all annual awards of the 2025-26 NBA regular season.

Cunningham played 63 games meeting the eligibility criteria this season, missing 12 games due to a diagnosed lung collapse (pneumothorax) on March 18; Doncic played 64 qualifying games, with his two absences due to returning to Slovenia for his daughter's birth. The NBA and the players' union agreed that, considering all special circumstances for both players, they meet the award eligibility requirements under the "special circumstances clause" of the labor agreement.

Additionally, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Edwards played 60 qualifying games this season. He filed an appeal to an independent arbitrator under the special circumstances clause of the labor agreement, seeking award eligibility. Edwards' appeal has been rejected, thus he is not eligible for the 2025-26 NBA regular season annual awards.