Damian Lillard Joins LeBron James As Only NBA Players With No-Trade Clause

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. That was short-lived, as veteran guard Damian Lillard on Thursday signed with his former team, the Portland Trail Blazers, on a three-year, $42 million contract.

Damian Lillard Earned No-Trade Clause With Blazers In 2023

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Lillard’s new deal with Portland includes a player option in 2027-28 and a no-trade clause, which allows a player to veto any trade that he doesn’t approve of. The 35-year-old was stretched-and-waived by the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this month.

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, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks. A player is not allowed to add a no-trade clause in an extension.

Lillard earned the no-trade clause with the Blazers before being traded to Milwaukee in 2023. In 58 games (all starts) of the 2024-25 season, Lillard averaged 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and 36.1 minutes per contest while shooting 44.8% from the field, 37.6% from 3-point range, and 92.1% at the foul line.

Per Basketball Reference, Lillard recorded a season-high 43 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on Feb. 9 before being sidelined for Milwaukee’s final 14 games of the regular season.

James Set To Enter Second Season Of Two-Year, $101.4 Million Contract

Meanwhile, James is on the second season of a two-year, $101.4 million contract that he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers last July. He recently exercised his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 campaign.

Despite the trade rumors surrounding James this offseason, the Lakers expect the future Hall of Famer to attend training camp later this summer.

Per The Athletic’s Dan Woike and Joe Vardon, league sources said, “Amid the constant speculation recently about his future, both the Lakers and people close to the NBA’s all-time leading scorer expect that he will be with the organization for training camp once the season begins this fall.”

James, who turns 41 in December, is set to enter his 23rd NBA season this fall. The 21-time All-Star is hoping to contend for a fifth career championship.

If James doesn’t retire next summer, 2025-26 could be his last season in a Lakers uniform.

Lillard Spent His First 11 Seasons With Portland

Damian Lillard was selected sixth overall by the Trail Blazers in the 2012 NBA draft out of Weber State. He spent the first 11 seasons of his career in Portland and established himself as one of the league’s top scorers.

The nine-time All-Star made the Blazers a perennial contender in the Western Conference, finishing as high as third in the conference twice in back-to-back seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19.

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

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

In 769 career NBA regular-season games (all starts) with the Blazers, he has averaged 25.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 36.3 minutes per contest while shooting 44.8% from the field and 37.2% from deep.