As we approach the end of the 2024-25 NBA season, the landscape of the league has essentially settled into place. The true contenders have established themselves at the top of the pinnacle, the playoff teams have separated themselves from the rest of the pack, and the bottom-dwellers have officially raised the white flag. The New Orleans Pelicans mailed their season in a long time ago, but even they have hit new lows in hopes of maximizing their odds in the upcoming NBA Draft lottery.
It's not just the teams settling into their place in the standings, either. There are still a handful of games left, but the candidates for the NBA's major awards have largely revealed themselves for the year. There might be some jostling still for the All-NBA and All-Defensive teams, but the last dozen or so games shouldn't have too much effect on the final voting.
Among the heavy favorites to take home some hardware at the end of the season is the Detroit Pistons' Cade Cunningham, who's slated to be dubbed the 2024-25 Most Improved Player. This selection has already been met with plenty of controversy, even before it's been made official. Many factors have played a hand in the tainting of the once-prestigious NBA MIP award, but Trey Murphy III's injuries this season should be viewed as a primary factor in its death.
Trey Murphy III was the last chance to save the NBA's MIP award
As the number-one overall pick just four years ago and someone who averaged over 22 points and seven assists per game last season, Cade Cunningham's leading the Most Improved Player race all season has been heavily scrutinized in the NBA community, and rightly so. Unfortunately, there aren't any other great valid options for the award in his stead either. The other primary candidates either haven't made a notable enough leap (Dyson Daniels and Christian Braun) or would draw the same critiques as Cade (Evan Mobley and Tyler Herro).
The true "most improved player" this year is ineligible for the award, as Trey Murphy III will finish the season with just 53 games played. The league's new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NBA Player's Association requires that players appear in at least 65 games to qualify for major awards, including MVP, DPOY, All-NBA, and Most Improved.
Taking a look back at his season, Murphy III was teetering on the line of eligibility all year. He missed the Pelicans' first 10 games after suffering a hamstring strain at the top of training camp. By early January, he had already been out for 16 total, leaving him with just one more allowable absence for the remainder of the year. Between that and New Orleans's disastrous campaign, TMIII was never seen as a serious candidate for MIP, even though he is by far the most deserving player of the award by definition.
Looking back at the past MIP winners, the sentiment that the award had long lost its spirit is quite overstated. The only two questionable recipients were Tyrese Maxey last year and Ja Morant in 2022. But, Cade Cunningham, the first-overall pick in 2021 who put up 17 points, six rebounds, and six assists per game as a rookie and has steadily grown year in and year, winning the Most Improved Player award this season, as he's expected to, could very well be the nail in the coffin. And it'll be largely due to Trey Murphy III being disqualified because of injuries.