INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 24: Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers holds the ball while being guarded by Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 24, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

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Less than a month into the 2026-27 NBA season, the league’s injury report is already roughly one mile long.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry was the latest star to suffer a multi-week injury when he went down with an oblique abdominal tear on Wednesday, but he’s hardly the first.

• Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his knee that could sideline him for two months.
• Utah Jazz big man Jaren Jackson Jr. suffered a torn MCL in his right knee that’s expected to sideline him for 6-8 weeks. His teammate, Lauri Markkanen, is out for at least four weeks because of two nondisplaced fractures in his right hand.
• Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero has already missed multiple weeks with a high ankle sprain.
• Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard has played only two games due to swelling in his left knee.
• Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton has played only four games because of a hamstring strain.
• Portland Trail Blazers guard Ja Morant is out for at least four weeks because of a Grade 2 hamstring strain.
• Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren has been out since the second game of the season because of a hamstring strain.
• Oklahoma City Thunder wing Jalen Williams (fibula/ankle) and guard Cason Wallace (shoulder) may have suffered season-ending injuries. In addition, Thunder big man Chet Holmgren is out eight to 10 weeks because of a patellar tendon tear.

Just like last year, those injuries have thrown a wrench into the NBA’s awards races.

Players must play in at least 65 games to be eligible for certain end-of-season awards, including MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and the All-NBA teams. Many of the above players could already be in danger of falling short of that threshold.

Last year, Edwards played in only 61 games, which kept him off an All-NBA team even though he averaged a career-high 28.8 points per game. Based on his start to this season—he averaged 33.3 points per game across his first four appearances—he likely would have been an All-NBA lock and might have even been a viable MVP candidate had he stayed healthy. Instead, that All-NBA spot will likely go to someone else now.

These early-season injuries and their impact on the awards races could have massive financial implications around the league. Just ask Duren and the Pistons.

The Pistons’ Cautionary Tale

Last year, Edwards wasn’t the only NBA superstar who fell short of the 65-game awards cutoff. Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Devin Booker, LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis and Trae Young were also ineligible, among others.

Those injuries opened the door for other players to sneak onto an All-NBA team. That’s exactly what happened with Duren and Holmgren, who garnered the fewest votes among the All-NBA selections.

Holmgren had already agreed to a rookie-scale extension that did not include designated-player language, which means his new deal was guaranteed to start at 25% of the 2026-27 salary cap regardless. Had he gotten that language in his contract, his new deal could have started as high as 30% of the salary cap. Williams did have that language in his max extension, but he also failed to reach the 65-game threshold last year. That wound up costing him nearly $50 million.

Meanwhile, Duren didn’t agree to an extension with the Pistons ahead of the rookie-scale extension deadline, which had him poised to become a restricted free agent during the 2026 offseason. Had he not made an All-NBA team, the Pistons couldn’t have offered him more than a five-year, $239.2 million deal. But once he received an All-NBA nod, he became eligible for a five-year, $287.0 million contract instead.

There was just one problem: The Pistons had no interest in giving that to him, particularly after his disappointing performance in the 2026 playoffs. Their offer topped out at five years and $200 million, and that was after months of negotiations.

Had Duren not made an All-NBA team, would those contract talks have become as hostile as they wound up being? Only Duren and his camp could answer that question. But the $100-plus million gulf between his $287 million max contract and what the Pistons initially offered might have been harder to swallow than if his max was $239 million instead.

Is There Another Duren Lurking?

This year, teams around the league already took care of business when it came to their 2023 first-round picks. The highest picks who didn’t sign extensions by the rookie-scale deadline were Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (No. 3 overall) and Magic guard Anthony Black (No. 6 overall), neither of whom figure to be in the running for an All-NBA nod this year.

However, the designated-player language doesn’t just apply to first-round picks heading into their fourth seasons. Players with seven to nine years of NBA experience can also qualify for a higher salary if they win MVP or DPOY or get named to an All-NBA team as long as they weren’t traded after their rookie-scale deal expired.

If Edwards or Haliburton made an All-NBA team this season, they would have become eligible for a four-year extension worth more than $300 million during the 2027 offseason. However, both now appear likely to fall short of the 65-game threshold, which means they’ll only be eligible for a three-year, $188.6 million extension.

Both Edwards and Haliburton are under contract through 2028-29, so they’ll have two more chances to qualify for a 35% supermax before they become free agents. But their respective injuries could wind up costing them more than $100 million this year.

Those injuries could open the door for another Tyrese to cash in, though.

Like Edwards and Haliburton, Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey is currently in his seventh NBA season. If he doesn’t make an All-NBA team this year, he can sign a three-year extension this coming offseason that begins at 30% of the 2029-30 salary cap. If he does make an All-NBA team, he’ll be eligible for a four-year extension that could begin as high as 35% of the 2029-30 salary cap.

Granted, the Sixers might balk at that price tag if he wants the full boat. LeBron James will likely be retired by that point, but Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid are also set to become unrestricted free agents in 2029 if they don’t sign extensions beforehand. Meanwhile, VJ Edgecombe will be a restricted free agent that offseason unless the Sixers sign him to a new deal before the rookie-scale extension deadline in 2028.

For now, the Sixers just need to worry about how their new-look group coalesces. But they have long-term financial hurdles on the horizon, particularly if Maxey does make an All-NBA team for the second straight season. Doing so would also qualify him for a five-year supermax extension in the 2028 offseason.

Maxey might have made an All-NBA team even if not for the leaguewide rash of injuries. After all, he earned an All-NBA third-team nod last season, and he’s currently seventh in the league with 26.7 points per game on 49.8% shooting. If the Sixers finish with one of the best records in the East and he maintains that level of production, he’ll have a rock-solid All-NBA case.

But if Edwards, Curry, Haliburton, Leonard and others aren’t even eligible to make an All-NBA team, that will whittle down the competition for spots for Maxey and others. That could eventually put the Sixers in a financial bind if he decides to push for the full 35% supermax.