Cade Cunningham injury update; NBPA calls for changes to 65-game rule

Detroit — Washington Wizards guard Tre Johnson’s right knee may be the reason behind the NBA making significant changes to one of its league rules. Johnson’s knee made impact with Cade Cunningham’s left lung, as both players attempted to go after a loose ball during the Detroit Pistons’ 130-119 win on March 17.

The collision at Capital One Arena left Cunningham with a collapsed lung. The injury not only jeopardizes his ability to play for the remainder of the regular season, but could also prevent him from qualifying for end-of-season awards due to the league’s 65-game rule.

The possibility that Cunningham may not be eligible for end-of-season awards has sparked debate on what is next for that NBA rule. The latest came Tuesday, when the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) called for the rule to be “abolished or reformed.”

“It does have an impact on the way the game is played and the way the game is coached,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “There are so many different things now that you have to take into consideration that you shouldn’t have to take into consideration. The guys are good enough. They deserve certain things. They play a certain way. Guys shouldn’t have to feel like they have to play hurt or injured to make something like that happen.

“I don’t have an answer for what the best thing is moving forward, but I do think if you have serious injuries and you’ve played a certain way throughout the season and you’ve played a certain amount of games, a certain amount of minutes, whatever it may be, you should still be able to qualify for those awards. I get the intent behind it. I just think there has to be a better way.”

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Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum was the NBPA president when the league adopted the 65-game rule in 2023. McCollum told The Detroit News that the intent was to “incentivize players to play games and not sit out for no reason.” However, McCollum also believes that when serious injuries occur, the rule can become too stringent.

“There are certain cases where it should not matter; it is not like he (Cunningham) is missing games on purpose,” McCollum told The News. “He has a serious injury that is going to shift financial implications for him. … That is what the NBA has historically been good at — amending things and making changes to what has occurred throughout the season. In this case, I think it is a special case.”

Tre Johnson of the Washington Wizards collides with Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons on March 17, causing a collapsed lung for Cunningham.

A collapsed lung is a rare injury in the NBA, but McCollum has a sense of what Cunningham is going through. He dealt with the injury on two separate occasions throughout his career.

The first came when he was with the Portland Trail Blazers and missed 17 games in 2021. Two years later, McCollum missed three weeks after sustaining the same injury again in 2023 as a member of the New Orleans Pelicans. Both of the injures occurred when he was hit in the chest during a game.

McCollum is unsure of the severity of Cunningham’s injury, which will determine whether he can return before the end of the regular season. However, McCollum understands the steps Cunningham will need to go through before he is eligible to return.

“For me, it took a lot of rest,” McCollum said. “What was similar to his was the fact that it was trauma-induced; I took a blow to the chest. It could take a few weeks, but it all depends on what the doctor says. It all heals with time. Once they clear you for physical activities, like biking, running, things like that, that’s going to make a difference. He is young and going to be fine, but everybody’s bodies are different and recover differently.”

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Cunningham has one more week before he is re-evaluated, but there have been some encouraging signs. Ahead of the Pistons’ 130-129 loss to the Hawks on Wednesday, he spent time at the Henry Ford Health Pistons Performance Center after shootaround and appeared to be working alongside team trainers. However, there is still no timetable for his return.

“It was great to have him there. His leadership, his personality, his spirit — it meant a lot to the group,” Bickerstaff said. “To see that he is able to get up and move around, to see him laugh — everybody wants to see him healthy, that was big for the group; just to get their eyes on him, to see him out there moving around and doing better.”

Cunningham has played 61 games this season, averaging 24.9 points on 46.1% shooting from the field, to go along with 10.1 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals. He is currently top-10 among guards in blocks, with 53 rejections. His MVP-caliber play has been the catalyst for the Pistons’ 52-20 record, best in the Eastern Conference.

coty.davis@detroitnews.com

@cotydavis_24

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Cade Cunningham injury update; NBPA calls for changes to 65-game rule