NBA Awards eligibility tracker: Nikola Jokić questionable for must-play game on Sunday

With the NBA’s regular season ending Sunday, attention will soon turn to the playoffs and the league’s annual award races. But there are still some major awards questions to figure out, such as whether Nikola Jokić will even be eligible.

Due to the NBA’s 65-game rule, a number of injured stars — including LeBron James, Cade Cunningham, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry — are already ineligible for regular-season honors.

The exact rule is that players must play at least 20 minutes in 65 games during the regular season to be awards-eligible, though they get two games in which they only have to play for 15 minutes. The NBA Cup championship game, which doesn’t count in the standings, also counts as a game played for players on the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.

With only game remaining for every team, there are still a couple All-Stars who need to play Sunday to be awards-eligible. That includes Jokić, who missed Friday’s game with right wrist injury management alongside the rest of the Denver Nuggets’ starting five.

He is officially questionable for Sunday’s game on the Nuggets’ injury report, while every other starter has been ruled out again for a clash with the San Antonio Spurs that could decide who gets the third seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Let’s take a look at who still needs to become eligible.

Players at risk of not qualifying for NBA awards

Nikola Jokić, Nuggets: 17 missed games

Missed a month with a left knee injury
Needs to play at least 15 minutes in the Nuggets’ regular-season finale against the San Antonio Spurs to become eligible

Deni Avdija, Trail Blazers: 16 missed games

Missed time with a back injury
Needs to play at least 20 minutes in the Trail Blazers’ regular-season finale against the Sacramento Kings to become eligible
Appeared for less than a minute in one game, which does not count toward his total