After a brief interlude in Milwaukee, Damian Lillard is back hunting baskets for the Portland Trail Blazers. His former team gave him one of the rare no-trade clauses. But why?
After two years in Milwaukee that were more like a misunderstanding, Damian Lillard is officially back with the franchise where his NBA journey began. The point guard signed a three-year contract worth around $42 million in Portland.
Also part of the deal is a no-trade clause that allows Lillard to veto any trade involving him. This clause is now considered a real rarity in the NBA. Apart from Lillard, only LeBron James has one.
According to Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report, the clause could be motivated by the broken relationship between Lillard and the franchise. After all, Portland denied the nine-time All-Star his preferred trade destination, the Miami Heat, in 2023 and sent him to Milwaukee instead.
The implementation of a no-trade clause now gives Lillard security for the future and is intended to regain lost trust.
