The Grizzlies begin to screw over Portland...

[jonthefon]

Darius Miles showed up in the closing minutes of a Grizzlies-Mavs game with the Grizz ahead by plenty, playing two awesome minutes as a victory cigar and starting the countdown to him being included in the Blazers' cap for his awful contract.

Boxscore

[Andrew]

Looks like it could be a tough break for the Blazers but good for Miles. The ship has long sailed on him being a star player in the NBA but perhaps he can work himself back into being a role player somewhere in the league, if not in Memphis beyond this season.

[JaoSming]

Can you really blame the Grizzlies?

[[Q]]

nope. they don't have anything better to do than hope Mayo doesn't get hurt and hope for a high lottery pick. and screwing another Western Conference poewr, well that's just icing on the cake.

[Andrew]

Are the Blazers really getting screwed though? They wanted the cap relief so they applied for the exception with the hope that Darius Miles would call it quits, not get a second opinion and try to make a comeback in the NBA...which he has every right to do. They could have just gone with a buyout and been rid of him that way but they tried for a medical exception and it looks like it might backfire on them. They kind of screwed themselves as their plan relied on Miles doing something in the best interests of a team he no longer had any obligation to and putting aside his own career aspirations.

[shadowgrin]

The agreed league and players union assigned doctor that "retired" Miles screwed up bigtime.
Sucks for Portland. Oden is depressed enough already and this happens.

[NovU]

Countdown has started. 9 games to go is it? Or does playing time matter.

Grizzlies is a good team, and a history of Gasol trade prove that. They will probably waive Miles after playing him 9 games, saving the Blazers. After that, some evil team can pick him up and play him just 1 more game before retiring him for good.

No No for real, I'd like to see Miles playing well again. He used to be a better than average player with good potential to be a star. What a wasted talent.

[Heiks]

Used to love Richardson, Miles and Odom during their time with the Clippers. Now I'm a bit sad because he'll put that contract back on Blazers' cap playing garbage minutes for a lottery team. Hopefully it'll turn out something more than just a sprint to collect his old pay.

But yeah, don't know who to blame, the doctor or the Blazers' management.

[Fresh8]

But yeah, don't know who to blame, the doctor or the Blazers' management.

Can't really blame anyone. The doctor used his expertise to diagnose Miles with the conclusion that he wasn't likely to ever play again and the Blazers used that knowledge to move on without him. If anyone is to blame, it's probably Miles for successfully stepping back onto the court.

[NovU]

well. i'd say it's management's fault if he gets to get paid. miles wasn't in part of blazers' plan anyways so wasn't even bought out. j-williams's contract from chicago was bought out for 3 mil. something like that should have been done for miles as well. imo, the management got bit greedy back then and came to a coclusion too quick that he can't play in nba no more.

[Andrew]

Countdown has started. 9 games to go is it? Or does playing time matter.

Playing time doesn't matter, if he simply makes an appearance in 10 games then that will be sufficient.

I don't think anyone's to blame per se, though I think the Blazers' front office must accept responsibility for their own actions. They pressed ahead in trying to get the exception after the initial diagnosis, choosing a course of action that relied on Miles giving up on playing in the NBA (which he had no obligation to do). They took a risk in trying for a shortcut to clear the payroll and it could potentially backfire. It's no one's fault but their own.

[[Q]]

looks like the Grizz waived Miles after their game tonight vs Minnesota. An injury to Darko forced them to go after a big man.

he's still got 8 games to go if anyone wants to take a chance on him.

[Andrew]

With teams now able to sign players to ten day contracts he should have some more opportunities.

[el badman]

Well, he's out:

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/01/07/0107 ... index.html

[Andrew]

Seems like there's a good enough chance he'll catch on somewhere else. From the looks of things he wasn't released by the Celtics and Grizzlies for his attitude or health but simply because they didn't need him.

[StupidBoy]

Well apprently Miles is acctualy just two games away from screwing the Blazers. The preseason games also counted, but they kept it quiet.

[Heiks]

Is there a team, that would actually need Miles?

[Alejandrov011]

Is there a team, that would actually need Miles?

Oklahoma City?
Clippers?

[el badman]

Albuquerque T-Birds?

[Clueminati017]

Miles Just Two Games Away From Counting On Blazers' Cap
Most of the NBA believed Darius Miles still was eight regular-season games away from devastating the Blazers’ salary cap, but Yahoo! Sports learned on Wednesday that Miles is just two games away.

Teams had been under the impression that the league’s collective bargaining agreement demanded that Miles play 10 regular-season or postseason games for the $18 million, which is split evenly between this and next season to return to the Blazers’ payroll.

All along, the Blazers knew exactly that the preseason games counted, but a league official said Wednesday night, “He wanted to keep it quiet.”

Apparently, no team had called the league for clarification on the rule that states the season is constituted by the “first day of training camp and ending immediately after the last game of the NBA Finals.

http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/ ... azers_cap/

It's coming...

[Andrew]

With 10 day contracts now in effect, I believe he'll play at least a couple more games somewhere.

[Valor]

i bet any random team with a roster spot would sign him and play him for the 2 games, a minute a game or something, just to screw the Blazers

[Andrew]

Adrian Wojnarowski certainly believes so and it's a good point that I had overlooked when I said the Grizzlies weren't really trying to screw over the Blazers. Eliminating Portland from the list of suitors vying for marquee free agents certainly benefits other teams looking to do the same and less competition - particularly from a team with a seemingly bright future - would be to their benefit. At the same time though, I could see a team giving Miles a shot out of genuine interest and I don't think Miles' comeback attempts are out of spite, simply a desire to play in the NBA.

[erik_twism]

You should also but in consideration that playing him for two games would actually give you some money. The Blazer would get over the salary cap. So more money in the pot for the teams under the cap.

[Andrew]

The Blazers are already over the salary cap, they'd be in the luxury tax. That would net teams under the luxury threshold some extra revenue but it doesn't give them any cap space. Preventing the Blazers from being players in the free agent market is probably the biggest incentive for a team who doesn't necessarily need Miles to give him a shot.