Cade Cunningham's MVP Message Can Come True If 1 NBA Trend Continues

For what it's worth, NBA.com's Shaun Powell has Cunningham at No. 4 in the MVP race. However, he is behind Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic and Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic.

If there's one thing Cunningham has an advantage over the other MVP candidates, though, it's the fact that he has been the healthiest among them this 2025-26 season.

Cunningham has only missed six games so far, and he has never been sidelined for more than three games this campaign.

Jokic was sidelined for 16 consecutive games early in the season due to a knee injury.

Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, has already missed eight games this 2025-26. However, he is set to miss three to four more games, at the very least, due to an abdominal strain that has kept him sidelined since early February.

For his part, Doncic has already missed 12 games, recently returning from a four-game absence because of a hamstring strain.

If the three players continue to struggle with injuries, they could end up being disqualified for the award. As the NBA rule states, players who don't meet the threshold of playing at least 65 regular-season games and logging at least 20 minutes in each of those contests will be ineligible for the MVP.

Jokic is just two away from being ineligible, while Doncic can only afford to miss just five more games before he loses his MVP eligibility. As for SGA, he's set to reach 11 or 12 missed games, and depending on his re-evaluation in a week's time, he could be sidelined for more.

The Nuggets, Thunder and Lakers have around 20-plus games left on the season, so Jokic, Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander will have to be really careful when it comes to their health as the NBA enters its final stretch.