Grizz to sign Miles for the rest of the season

Do really think he's athletic enough to be effective at the 3 anymore? Miles is definitely undersized at center, but at power forward he's got some more bulk than he used to and from the little I saw of him it looks like he's got a little bit of a post up game, and he's actually been blocking shots: .8 in 12 minutes per game. He's definitely not the same player, but the guy still has a little bit to offer a team -- hell, he's putting up roughly the same numbers as Nicolas in 5 fewer minutes per game.

 

Sure they did. A career-ending injury states that his condition is so bad, that he shouldn't be forced to fulfill the conditions of his contract. It's like a really kick-ass worker comp claim.

 

Not exactly, since all of the money in the contract is guaranteed.

I think it's pretty clear by now that Miles still wanted to play and the Blazers management felt that his rehab was going so badly the past two years that needed to cut their losses with him it was either waive him, play him, or seek the medical retirement so they could have a shot at some cap relief. It all back-fired, so they are right back to where they would be if they had waived him.

I'm no great Darius supporter, but I won't fault him for working hard to get back to a point where he can play a little bit and I don't think it's appropriate for the league or the Blazers to keep a him from playing, no matter the harm he might be doing to his knee.

 

Perhaps I didn't explain what I meant well enough. I mean that Darius' money is guaranteed as long as he shows up and does the bare minimum. He can't just sign a contract and walk away. Deeming his injury as "career-ending" meant that he was no longer required to do the bare minimum.

I don't think the Blazers care whether or not he plays again. I think the Blazers care whether or not his salary counts on the cap. IMO, and in the Blazers' as well, the NBA/NBAPA-approved doctor's decision should have been the end of the Blazers' salary cap obligations, although they had monetary responsibilities toward Darius.

 

Sure, I get that.

I agree that the rules as currently written probably never considered the possibility of a player being "forcefully" retired and then coming back, as I recall the whole reason for the rule in the first place was to prevent another Allan Houston event where the team "medically retired" him and then brought back under a reduced contract.

My guess is that there will be revisions to the CBA to deal with this, but none of it will be retroactive and we'll still be stuck with Mr. Baskin Robbins on our cap -- it sucks, but there's no changing it.

 

If Miles were really that injured, the insurance companies wouldn't pick up his contract and let him play.

 

In my mind, the bold type is the crux of the matter.

All parties accepted the medical decision according to the NBA-PA contract. At that time the Blazers had in effect, cap relief, and that should have been the end of the situation.

Surly there are legal reasons for the Blazers to sue to recover cap relief. I hope that PA uses his resources to do just that.

 

I just wish I wouldn't have sold my tickets to the Memphis game on February 18th. It is going to be worth the price of admission just to hear the crowds response when Darius comes into the game.

 

This question may very well be the "legal argument" that the Blazer's will use as to the intent of the rule.

I am just a retired Shipping Coordinator, and not a lawyer as I believe you are, but it seems to me that the Blazers are not so dumb as some might think in this matter.

They probably believe they have some adequate arguments to pursue as to the situation. I know that I would be using all the legal resources of Vulcan to get the cap hold reduced or removed if I were the Blazers. What we as fans and the Media don't know about this situation is probable considerable.

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