LEBRON HAS NO-TRADE CLAUSE IN NEW CONTRACT WITH CAVALIERS

Report: LeBron has no-trade clause in new contract with Cavaliers

Aug 20, 2016

The odds of the Cleveland Cavaliers ever trading four-time league Most Valuable Player LeBron James are basically slim to none, especially after he brought the team back from oblivion to defeat the Golden State Warriors and capture the franchise's first NBA championship last season.

However, on the off chance management ever considers making such a blasphemous move, they'll need The King's blessing to get a deal done.

The 31-year-old recently signed a reported three-year, $100-million contract to remain in Cleveland, with his new deal reportedly containing a no-trade clause, sources told Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon.

He'll be the highest-paid player in the NBA for the first time in his career, with the $33 million he'll make in 2017-18 being the largest single-season salary ever.

A no-trade clause is extremely rare in today's NBA, as a player needs to have competed for at least eight years, including four with their current team upon signing a contract as a free agent, according to The Vertical's Bobby Marks.

Carmelo Anthony and Dirk Nowitzki also have the clause with the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks, respectively, while Kevin Garnett waived his to rejoin the Minnesota Timberwolves.

James does have a player option in the third year, leaving the door slightly open for him to exit Cleveland for a second time. If he were to give the team fair warning that he intended to walk, the Cavaliers could work out a trade to at least get some sort of compensation, unlike last time.

We're still a ways away from that even being a possibility, though, with James fully committed to helping the Cavaliers defend their title this upcoming season.