Damian Lillard Joins LeBron James as Only NBA Players with No-Trade Clause in Contract

LeBron James became the only player in the NBA with a no-trade clause on Wednesday when the Phoenix Suns bought out Bradley Beal's contract.

A day later, another player joined him.

Veteran point guard Damian Lillard, who was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this month, signed with his former team, the Portland Trail Blazers, on a three-year, $42 million contract, per ESPN's Shams Charania. The deal includes a no-trade clause.

A no-trade clause allows a player to veto any trade that he doesn't approve of. So if the Blazers wanted to trade Lillard this season, he could decline if he didn't like that particular trade destination, or if he didn't want to be traded at all.

The right to have a no-trade clause is earned after a player has spent at least eight years in the league and at least four years with the particular team he signs with. ESPN's Bobby Marks noted that Lillard earned the no-trade clause with the Blazers before being traded to Milwaukee in 2023.

Lillard, drafted by the Trail Blazers in the first round in 2012, spent the first 11 seasons of his career in Portland. He established himself as one of the best scoring threats in the league during his first stint and made the Blazers a perennial contender to make it out of the West.

But his second stint with the team will likely be much different.

Lillard comes to Portland several years out of his prime, and he's set to miss most, if not all, of the 2025-26 campaign because of a torn Achilles he suffered in the playoffs.

Even if Lillard is no longer an MVP candidate, he'll serve as a veteran mentor to a young team still deep in a rebuild, and the franchise icon should be welcomed back with open arms.