Portland's cap space will be screwed over if Miles plays only 2 games

[Mo Z. Dizzle]

Blazers’ magic number for cap turmoil: 2

Until now, Portland Trail Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard had a secret it appears most of the NBA hadn’t taken the time to discover for itself: Darius Miles is on the brink of blowing up the Blazers’ salary-cap space.

Most of the NBA believed 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.”

The league office confirmed to Yahoo! Sports that the six preseason games that Miles played for the Boston Celtics counts toward the 10. Before the Memphis Grizzlies waived him on Tuesday night to avoid guaranteeing his contract for the rest of the season, Miles played two regular-season games that pushed him to eight total.

Any team in the NBA simply can sign Miles to a 10-day contract, play him twice and punch out one of the summer’s top free-agent destinations. The Blazers are a prime destination for free agents, and the cap space also made them a fierce competitor for sign-and-trade deals. If Miles returns to the salary cap, he also will push Portland into the luxury tax. That means every team under the tax would benefit with about $250,000 of revenue sharing from Portland.

Most NBA executives are reveling in the fact that clogging the Portland cap could be a way to slow the rapid rise of the franchise. Beyond that, there is a level of jealousy over the way that Portland’s owner, Paul Allen, buys up draft picks from poorer teams for his GM to use.

All in all, league executives have been rooting hard for Miles to play those 10 games after he missed two years with a knee injury that Portland and league doctors declared was career-ending.

“Someone is going to scoop him up and play him those two games now,” one Eastern Conference executive said when told the news on Wednesday night. “Portland is screwed.”

One West GM thinks the Denver Nuggets, who moved under the luxury tax threshold on Wednesday, will be motivated to sign Miles.

Another GM wondered whether the Blazers might pick Miles off waivers and just keep him on the bench, although it’s unlikely the NBA would allow that. Portland also has been collecting insurance money on Miles, and it just seems too unlikely that Allen and Pritchard would go to such an extreme. Nevertheless, the Blazers have an incredible amount to lose here.

When reached on Wednesday night, Jeff Wechsler, Miles’ agent, said he suspected the rule clarification might be true but had yet to get a confirmation from the NBA.

“We’re not focused on that,” he said. “Our focus is on Darius getting back and playing ball again. Our focus is not trying to hurt the Blazers.”

[eS El Duque]

well...i hope he plays two games then

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

^rest assure, he will. even if that means the Lakers have to sign him for 2 games.

[7even]

Reports: Blazers try to blackball Miles
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ESPN.com news services

The Portland Trail Blazers have a message for the NBA's 29 other teams -- don't sign Darius Miles.
lastname
Miles
If a team were to sign the free-agent forward "for the purpose of adversely impacting the Portland Trail Blazers' salary cap and tax positions," the Blazers might pursue litigation, team president Larry Miller stated an e-mail obtained by SI.com and Yahoo! Sports late Thursday night.

"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," Miller wrote.

If Miles plays two more games, then his Blazers contract, worth $18 million total for this season and next, would count against the Trail Blazers' salary cap and force the team to pay the NBA's luxury tax. The contract had been removed from salary cap and tax considerations when the Blazers deemed Miles medically unable to play and released him.

The full text of the email reads:

"Team Presidents and General Managers,

"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. Such conduct from 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."

Teams had believed the collective bargaining agreement said Miles must play 10 regular-season or postseason games in a season for the $18 million to count against the Blazers. But the league office confirmed to Yahoo! Sports the six preseason games Miles played for the Boston Celtics count toward the 10. Before the Memphis Grizzlies waived him on Tuesday night to avoid guaranteeing his contract for the rest of the season, Miles played two regular-season games, pushing his total games played to eight.



LOOOOOOL

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

^fuckin fags...tryna scare muufuckaz. hopefully, it doesnt work.

[GangstaBoogy]

I think the Celtics will end up signing him. Either way I really hope Portland's cap space gets fucked now that they're taking the bitch approach to this situation.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

^I have a feeling it's gunna be the Mavs


LMAO@Portland threatening legal action if anyone signs him.

[eS El Duque]

Where the fuck are the Knicks when you need them?

[OG Hack Wilson]

^fuckin fags...tryna scare muufuckaz. hopefully, it doesnt work.

to be honest, the way our legal system is interpreted i wouldnt be surprised if Portland's BS excuse holds up

if the glove fits, you must acquit 

[7even]

Just imagine how Miles must be feeling right now. Not only that they try to ruin his career and try to keep him from playing basketball, they also basically say that he's so bad, no team would possibly be trying to sign him for his abilities...LOL

[S P I C E]

Just imagine how Miles must be feeling right now. Not only that they try to ruin his career and try to keep him from playing basketball, they also basically say that he's so bad, no team would possibly be trying to sign him for his abilities...LOL

So true LOL

[GangstaBoogy]

^I have a feeling it's gunna be the Mavs


LMAO@Portland threatening legal action if anyone signs him.

Actually its the...Grizzlies? LOL



Miles Re-Signs With Memphis

Less than 24 hours after Portland warned rival teams not to sign Darius Miles to a contract or risk possible legal action, Miles is heading back to the NBA.

According to report on Yahoo! Sports, Miles has agreed to a 10 day contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. If Miles plays in two games, Portland is back on the hook for his salary for both this year and next, meaning they'll be above the luxury tax for this season and they may not be able to sign a max free agent next.

The Grizzlies waived Miles on Tuesday to avoid having his contract become guaranteed.

Do it Memphis!

[thisoneguy360]

I hope he signs with Memphis. It's a damn shame someone who at one point scored 48 and was finally playing to his potential is in this shithole.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Memphis did it big...I think they felt provoked by Portland's dumbass email.