Marc Stein, in his annual roundup of players that can waive trades, note that two Brooklyn Nets players have the right to refuse any trade this season — one of them you might not expect.
The first is Kevin Garnett. Garnett had a no-trade clause stipulated in his contract with the Boston Celtics, thanks to a rule that allows veterans the right to request a no-trade clause if they’ve spent four years with one team and eight years in the league. He’s one of four players that have the clause written directly into his contract, joining Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Dirk Nowitzki.
The second is actually Andray Blatche. Blatche earned the no-trade clause not from the same stipulation — he’s spent eight years in the league, but only two with Brooklyn, and he’d never get a no-trade clause even if he had — but he’s one of 14 players Stein calls “One-Year Birds.” An explanation:
Players in these circumstances — having re-signed on a new one-year deal with their previous employer — would have to forfeit their free-agent Bird rights if traded elsewhere before the end of the current season. League rules thus dictate that such players have to be asked for their permission before they can be thrown into a trade, which gives them a measure of the clout possessed by a Kobe or a KG between now and the Feb. 20 deadline.
ESPN’s Stein Line Live — 2013-14 All-No-Trade Team
