NBA allows two star players to be eligible for awards

Cunningham and Doncic were both touted as MVP candidates at various points during the season. It is unlikely that either of them will win the award even after becoming eligible, but this will allow them to feature on All-NBA teams. That might matter in future contract negotiations, as inclusion on such teams can make players eligible for supermax deals.

The big tiebreaker here is that both Doncic and Cunningham had circumstances beyond their control keep them from the 65-game mark, and both definitely would have made it if not for them. Both played in 64 games, so it was not a situation where they were simply rested too much. The arbitration process was less generous to Edwards, who only played in 61 games.

The awards eligibility rule has drawn criticism this season because of what it did to players like Cunningham. Adam Silver has made it clear that the rule is not changing, though there is apparently room for limited exceptions.