Mavericks' Luka Doncic Now Ineligible For NBA Postseason Awards, Including MVP

Due to recent rule changes, Dallas' superstar has now been mathematically eliminated from any postseason award.
Nov 4, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts to a foul call during the second half against the Indiana Pacers at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Nov 4, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts to a foul call during the second half against the Indiana Pacers at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic has battled multiple injuries this season but just missed his 18th game of the 2024-25 campaign on Tuesday night against the Denver Nuggets, a 118-99 Nuggets win. That means he is no longer eligible for any NBA postseason award due to a recent rule change requiring players to participate in 65 games to be on the postseason ballots. Even if he returned on Wednesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans, which won't happen as he's still weeks away from returning, he could play 64 games at most.

The 65-game rule was enacted in the last collective bargaining agreement to combat players sitting for load management. Since things like All-NBA Teams and MVPs are tied to the maximum salary a player can make, this rule has caught some heat from players, fans, and media.

READ MORE: Jamal Murray Spoils Kyrie Irving's Return, Nuggets Destroy Mavericks, 118-99

Doncic entered the season as the favorite to win MVP after leading the Mavericks to the NBA Finals last season but got off to a "slow" start for his standards. He was impacted by a calf contusion in the preseason and has dealt with knee, groin, and calf issues throughout the season. He rebounded after returning from a wrist strain to bring his averages up to 28.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 7.8 APG. While he was likely out of the MVP race due to absurd starts by Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, he was well on his way to making his sixth-consecutive First-Team All-NBA.

Luka Doncic suffered the injury on Christmas Day against the Minnesota Timberwolves, as it looked like he was on his way to another classic performance. He's supposed to be reevaluated sometime next week, and Dallas believes he could return before the All-Star break. He's still one of the leaders for votes among guards in the Western Conference for the All-Star Game.

READ MORE: Key Starter Leaves Mavericks-Nuggets With Injury

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Austin Veazey
AUSTIN VEAZEY

Austin Veazey joined NoleGameday as the Lead Basketball Writer in 2019, while contributing as a football writer, and started as editor for MavericksGameday in 2024. Veazey was a Florida State Men’s Basketball Manager from 2016-2019. Follow Austin on Twitter at @EasyVeazeyNG