Blazers To Sue Any Team Who Picks Up Miles

[Clueminati017]

The Portland Trail Blazers sent an email to rival team executives late Thursday threatening possible litigation to any franchise that signs free-agent forward Darius Miles for the “purpose of adversely impacting the Portland Trail Blazers’ salary cap and tax positions.”

The email cites Wednesday’s Yahoo! Sports report that if Miles plays in two more games this season, the remaining $18 million on his contract goes back on the Blazers’ payroll.

“The Portland Trail Blazers are aware that certain teams may be contemplating signing Darius Miles to a contract for the purpose of adversely impacting the Portland Trail Blazers Salary Cap and tax positions,” Blazers president Larry Miller wrote in the email to representatives of every NBA team. “Such conduct by a team would violate its fiduciary duty as an NBA joint venturer. In addition, persons or entities involved in such conduct may be individually liable to the Portland Trail Blazers for tortuously interfering with the Portland Trail Blazers contract rights and perspective economic opportunities.

“Please be aware that if a team engages in such conduct, the Portland Trail Blazers will take all necessary steps to safeguard its rights, including, without limitation, litigation.”

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[Fresh8]

I guess the Blazers are shitting themselves. Oh well, it looks like the team who picks up Miles needs to have a reasonable 'purpose' for having Miles on the team to fill a playing need. I don't think that will be too hard to prove.

I mean if a team needs a player that plays at Miles' position and a player who has the skillset of Miles, I don't think that would be too much of a stretch to be conisdered that the team is picking him up for the purpose of helping themselves rather than 'purposely impacting the Blazers' salary cap/tax positions ie. screwing the team over).

[bowdown]

im sad

[Andrew]

Union to file grievance against Blazers over Miles

I thought they might, I had my doubts that the player's union and the league would sit back and let that one go by.

[JaoSming]

According to the handy NBA Live 09 ticker, the NBA has released a memo to all teams saying that they will back them up if they sign Miles.

[Andrew]

Yes, I don't fancy the Blazers' chances of getting their way on this one.

[Drex]

im sad

You should be. Sadly, your team looks like a whiny bitch now.

[The X]

im sad

You should be. Sadly, your team looks like a whiny bitch now.

kinda like the 76ers now that the Brand signing hasn't turned them into a force in the East

[Drex]

They're not threating anyone, so, no.

[Laxation]

itd be if a team picked up miles and played him 2 games for 5 seconds or so

then there would probably be a case there

[bowdown]

im sad

You should be. Sadly, your team looks like a whiny bitch now.

kinda like the 76ers now that the Brand signing hasn't turned them into a force in the East

its not the team thats whiny bitch. its the management. but can u blame them? such a bright future is being threatened.

[Kenny]

They ran the risk of placing Miles on retirement, and it came back to bite them on the ass. I understand the argument if teams are just playing him for less than a minute a game, but in the end, they were too heavily reliant on Miles giving up all together and he showed enough character to come back.

[Matthew]

its not the team thats whiny bitch. its the management. but can u blame them? such a bright future is being threatened.

How exactly is their future being threatened?

What I find interesting is how the NBA hasn't fined them for the threat. Players and coaches get fined all the time for malicious comments. They've tried to kill Miles' career and all the NBA has said is "we'll help any team that wants to sign Miles..."

That's not good enough.

The NBA should of punished the Blazers.

[Clueminati017]

its not the team thats whiny bitch. its the management. but can u blame them? such a bright future is being threatened.

How exactly is their future being threatened?

What I find interesting is how the NBA hasn't fined them for the threat. Players and coaches get fined all the time for malicious comments. They've tried to kill Miles' career and all the NBA has said is "we'll help any team that wants to sign Miles..."

That's not good enough.

The NBA should of punished the Blazers.

So, you think that a franchise cut, or future draft picks would be a wise decision for David Stern?

[Matthew]

Perhaps. If the Blazers rescind their statement, I'd be happy with a fine. If not, then hell yeah, take away a draft pick or two. You can't have teams threatening to sue other teams for wanting to sign a player.

[Andrew]

itd be if a team picked up miles and played him 2 games for 5 seconds or so

then there would probably be a case there

True, but that would still be speculating on their intentions. If he's signed to a 10 day contract, he may only play at the end of a couple of blowouts, a perfectly innocent and common practice but one that could be construed as sabotaging the Blazers given the circumstances.

its not the team thats whiny bitch. its the management. but can u blame them? such a bright future is being threatened.

Their position is understandable, but they're the ones who applied for the medical exception and have had it come back to bite them. You can't blame them for being frustrated but they were way out of line.

What I find interesting is how the NBA hasn't fined them for the threat. Players and coaches get fined all the time for malicious comments. They've tried to kill Miles' career and all the NBA has said is "we'll help any team that wants to sign Miles..."

That's not good enough.

The NBA should of punished the Blazers.

I'm inclined to agree. I don't know about stripping them of draft picks at this point but a fine would certainly seem appropriate given how quick they are to hand them down to players and coaches, as you said. Maybe it has something do with the grievance the Players Union filed, perhaps further action will be forthcoming but I thought the league might do a little more than simply put the Blazers in their place.