ESPN's Bobby Marks released a list Thursday featuring NBA players who have trade restrictions in place ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
Headlining the list are the only two players in the league with no-trade clauses: LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Bradley Beal of the Phoenix Suns.
Given his status as one of the greatest players in NBA history, it comes as little surprise that James has the right to dictate if or where he is traded.
The league's all-time leading scorer turned 40 last month, and he is in the midst of his 22nd NBA season, but he hasn't shown many signs of slowing down.
Through 35 games, the four-time NBA champion, NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP is averaging 23.6 points, 8.8 assists and 7.5 rebounds per contest for a Lakers team that is sixth in the Western Conference at 21-17.
James has never been traded before, and given that the Lakers are firmly in the playoff mix, it is highly unlikely that they would even consider trying to move him before the deadline.
Beal, 31, is in his second season with the Suns following a trade from the Washington Wizards, and he seemingly still hasn't fully found his footing in Phoenix.
In each of the seven seasons before getting traded, Beal averaged at least 22 points per game, including over 30 points per game in both 2019-20 and 2020-21.
That level of production has not been there for Beal in Phoenix, as he averaged 18.2 points per game last season as a third option behind Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, and is putting up 17.5 points per game so far this season, which is his lowest scoring average since 2015-16.
The Suns are currently outside a playoff spot in the Western Conference, as their 19-20 record has them in 11th place. While that suggests they would perhaps be open to a Beal trade if it could make the team better, Beal would have to approve any trade he is included in.
In the same vein as a no-trade clause, some other players have the right to approve or decline a trade as well since they signed a one-year deal and their Bird Rights would reset if they were to be traded. Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden is the most notable player in that situation aside from LeBron.
Other players cannot be traded until a certain date since they signed contract extensions with their current teams. The signing restriction will render several players unable to be traded prior to the deadline, including Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, Jarrett Allen of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon of the Denver Nuggets, and Ivica Zubac of the Clippers.
One final restriction to consider is the poison pill, which relates to players who signed an extension while on their rookie contract.
Jalen Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks, Evan Mobley of the Cavs, Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons, Jalen Green and Alperen Şengün of the Houston Rockets, Scottie Barnes of the Toronto Raptors, and Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs of the Orlando Magic are just some of the poison pill players.
Since any trade involving a poison pill player requires the trading team to bring back salary that equals the average annual salary of the poison pill player's extension, it is highly difficult to make the salaries match up.
That is likely why no poison pill player has been traded in the NBA since 2008, per Marks.
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