PORTLAND, Ore. — It's been nearly three months since Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard officially requested to be traded away from the Rose City. A trade package has yet to materialize, but with the start of training camps for the 2023-24 NBA season now just days away, rumors of an imminent deal have been furiously flying around the internet.
Lillard has made no secret of his desire to be traded to the Miami Heat, but the decision ultimately rests with the Trail Blazers and general manager Joe Cronin. The situation has led to speculation among fans about just how much leverage Lillard really has in the negotiations.
One key issue is whether Lillard's contract with the Blazers includes a no-trade clause, which is a provision that essentially gives an NBA player the right to veto any trade. The question "Does Damian Lillard have a no-trade clause" has become a trending search engine question in the U.S. over the past day.
THE QUESTION
Does Damian Lillard's contract include a no-trade clause?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
No, Damian Lillard does not have a no-trade clause.
WHAT WE FOUND
A no-trade clause gives a player significantly more leverage in trade negotiations because it prevents them from being traded unless they agree to waive the clause, effectively allowing them to veto any trade proposal. So while it doesn't officially allow them to pick their preferred trade destination, in practice it tends to do just that.
In a prominent recent example, when the Washington Wizards decided to embark on a rebuild, they were unable to shop star guard Bradley Beal to multiple teams and choose the best trade package because Beal's no-trade clause gave him all the leverage.
The team had to work with Beal and his agent to find a destination that he'd be willing to accept, which is how the Phoenix Suns wound up with the All-Star Beal while the Wizards walked away with Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, four future first-round pick swaps and six future second-round picks — a trade return that analysts called underwhelming.
Lillard has requested to be traded to the Miami Heat specifically, so the questions about a no-trade clause are surfacing because if Lillard had such a clause, the Blazers would be forced to accept one of two choices: bring back an unhappy Lillard or grant his request and send him to Miami even though Portland has reportedly shown no interest in the Heat's trade offer (centered around Tyler Herro and two first-round picks, according to Marc Spears of ESPN).
But Beal's situation was the exception rather than the rule. Online sports stat tracking database Spotrac confirms that Lillard's contract does not have a no-trade clause, and a Forbes story last year delved into why no-trade clauses are extremely rare in the NBA.
In fact, ESPN Front Office Insider Bobby Marks tweeted last year that Beal's contract included the only true no-trade clause in the league at the time, and The Athletic reported in June that there have only been 10 players in NBA history with true no-trade clauses.
Got a question or a story about Portland or Oregon that you'd like us to VERIFY? Drop us a line at verify@kgw.com.