Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons are out to get the NBA's 65-game requirement for regular season awards, with the star's agent releasing a statement through ESPN's Shams Charania on Tuesday that "an exception needs to be made" in the case of the rapidly-rising star's All-NBA eligibility if he fails to meet the threshold.
New York Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, on the other hand, are already clear of having to deal with this issue. Both of the team's All-Stars have logged more than the 65 necessary games. And both seem primed to earn All-NBA honors at the close of the 2025-26 season.
Knicks won't get bitten too badly by 65-game rule, this time around
It remains entirely possible that the NBA's anti-load management campaign will, at some point, leave a talented Knick or two holding the short end of the proverbial stick. Players like OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson are all but certain to miss out on some All-Defensive selections by just a couple of games over the years.
But in the cases of Brunson and Towns, New York fans will be able to leave the pitchforks and torches at home. Each half of the Knicks' dynamic duo has taken time to adjust to MIke Brown's system, but the results are starting to show up in waves as the playoffs approach.
Brunson, Towns starting to both shine in Brown's offense
Brunson is on pace to score slightly more than he did last year, with his efficiency taking a hit of about two field-goal percentage points. But his estimated offensive plus-minus is just around the same thus far as it was last season, according to Dunks & Threes. And he's already surpassed the "estimated wins" that he contributed in the 65 games he played last year, given that an ankle injury held him out for about a month.
Towns, on the other hand, is just starting to put everything together. Despite struggles on the parts of both player and coach with regard to integrating Towns into Brown's offense, the six-time All-Star is really heating up to close the regular season.
He's averaging 21.7 points per game on 57% field goal shooting in the month of March through Wednesday. He's also still leading the entire NBA in double-doubles, with Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets three full games behind him.
The two Knick All-Stars seem like a lock to qualify at least for the All-NBA third team, but it shouldn't surprise anyone if at least one winds up on the second squad. Stars around the league might still be looking to hit that marker of 65, but Brunson and Towns have all of those boxes checked with plenty of time to spare.