Grizz to sign Miles for the rest of the season

[ucatchtrout]

Well, threre you have it. Darius Miles and Mo Cheeks will be spending the rest of this season in Memphis. A match made in heaven.

Miles will remain for the season
Posted by Ronald Tillery
Ronald Tillery

Darius Miles’ comeback trail will continue to blaze through Memphis.

The Grizzlies plan to re-sign the 6-9 veteran forward for the rest of this season after a couple of 10-day contracts, according to a team insider with knowledge of the negotiations. Miles’ second 10-day stint expired after Wednesday night’s loss at Oklahoma City.

But Miles, 27, is expected to sign Friday in time to practice with the team. The Grizzlies’ roster is at the NBA-minimum 13 players. The Griz would have two weeks to add a player had they passed on Miles, who has shown he’s more than serviceable as a backup power forward and center since December when he joined the team.

The only question with regard to keeping Miles centered on playing time. With center Darko Milicic due back from a broken right hand next week, the Griz are committed to four players up front: Milicic, Marc Gasol, Darrell Arthur and Hakim Warrick.

The Griz, though, will let the distribution of minutes work itself out. They like what they’ve seen from Miles, who is making a respectable return from a microfracture knee operation that doctors once deemed career ending.

In another development… rookie center Marc Gasol celebrates his 24th birthday today.

http://www.thememphisedge.com/2009/01/29/miles-will-remain-for-the-season/

 

[julius]

Kind of ironic, imho, how the e-mail (which people stupidly claimed was the Blazers hurting Darius' ability to make a living) probably lead to Darius signing a guaranteed contract instead of being waived.

 

[alex42083]

I think Cheeks turned them down -- for his own good and well-being so the epic reunion won't happen.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Kind of ironic, imho, how the e-mail (which people stupidly claimed was the Blazers hurting Darius' ability to make a living) probably lead to Darius signing a guaranteed contract instead of being waived.

I don't think the email had anything to do with Miles signing a guaranteed contract.

Memphis is just all screwed up

 

[AgentDrazenPetrovic]

I got crow to eat.

 

[julius]

I don't think the email had anything to do with Miles signing a guaranteed contract.

Memphis is just all screwed up

I think it called their bluff. No email sent and there's no real reason to keep him. It's not like he's been all that productive.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I think it called their bluff. No email sent and there's no real reason to keep him. It's not like he's been all that productive.

A topic we could debate and go round and round on . . . I guess we will never know.

I know it is unpopular, but whatever the reason for the contract, I'm glad for Miles.

 

[maxiep]

The Blazers' next move will be interesting. This seems like a CYA move by the Grizz. With him they had the minimum 13 players anyway, so it's not like they had to make a tough choice to dump someone else to keep him.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

It would be very interesting to let the doctors who deemed him unfit examine him now and hear what they had to say. My guess, they'd stick to their guns and say he is seriously jeopardizing his long term health to play.

 

[julius]

It would be very interesting to let the doctors who deemed him unfit examine him now and hear what they had to say. My guess, they'd stick to their guns and say he is seriously jeopardizing his long term health to play.

They didn't say he was unfit to play. They said that his knees were bad enough that they would suggest he not play basketball anymore. Huge difference.

 

[DaRizzle]

I got crow to eat.

Bon Appetit sucka!

 

[NattaNerNuttaMan]

Bon Appetit sucka!

just....awesome!!! LOL love it!!!

 

[Boob-No-More]

Long live the curse!

Quick, what's the NBA record for consecutive losses in a season?

BNM





Hint: Same team, different place.

 

[NattaNerNuttaMan]

Long live the curse!

Quick, what's the NBA record for consecutive losses in a season?

BNM





Hint: Same team, different place.

lol...back in those "Big Country" days? LOL

 

[Boob-No-More]

lol...back in those "Big Country" days? LOL

Yep, 23 in a row back in 1996. They went half of February and all of March without winning a game.

Denver managed to tie the record less than two years later.

BNM

 

[alex42083]

lol...back in those "Big Country" days? LOL

I thought Big Country had a little bit of game back in the day, he could post people up. Then they gave him that ridiculous $60 mil contract I think, and it was just downhill from there.
Big Country, SAR and Bibby were quite the Big 3.

 

[Ed O]

They didn't say he was unfit to play. They said that his knees were bad enough that they would suggest he not play basketball anymore. Huge difference.

They did not say that.

They said, if he retired, his medical condition would be sufficient explanation to give the Blazers cap relief.

I don't think they made any recommendations about his future. If they did it was not why they were getting paid.

Ed O.

 

[NattaNerNuttaMan]

I thought Big Country had a little bit of game back in the day, he could post people up. Then they gave him that ridiculous $60 mil contract I think, and it was just downhill from there.
Big Country, SAR and Bibby were quite the Big 3.

yeah they were nice...they also had Michael Dickerson...who was just coming into his own before injuries brought him down...sad, cuz he was shaping up to be pretty damn good...when he went down, so did the Grizzlies' (not like they really had far to fall...lol)

And with Country...he was good...but as soon as he got paid...he got about as lazy as a player can get

 

[mgb]

Wait a min, no one's commenting on the the backup center part? Miles a backup PF?C? I thought he was a SF? Did he change positions?

 

[NattaNerNuttaMan]

Wait a min, no one's commenting on the the backup center part? Miles a backup PF?C? I thought he was a SF? Did he change positions?

yeah I think that's against smaller lineups though. When he started out he did play SF and weighed a whispy 210-215 pounds. Now since his surgery and injuries...he's lost mobility and explosiveness. He now plays at 235 pounds...not that he has bulked up he's playing a lil stronger to compensate for his diminished mobility.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Wait a min, no one's commenting on the the backup center part? Miles a backup PF?C? I thought he was a SF? Did he change positions?

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.

 

[maxiep]

They did not say that.

They said, if he retired, his medical condition would be sufficient explanation to give the Blazers cap relief.

I don't think they made any recommendations about his future. If they did it was not why they were getting paid.

Ed O.

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.

 

[Nikolokolus]

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.

 

[maxiep]

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

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 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.

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.

 

[Nikolokolus]

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.

Sure, I get that.

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.

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.

 

[Ed O]

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.

There's no such thing as a "career-ending injury" in the CBA that I am aware of. It's "medical retirement".

But what you're saying is consistent with what I'm saying. The doctors are giving a medical opinion that the player need not be forced to continue to play. Because of this, the team is off the hook.

If the player disagrees, though, and a team is willing to sign and play him? Well, that's why the rule (even as sloppy as it is) about a comeback exists.

Ed O.

 

[BalancedMan]

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.

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

 

[gatorpops]

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.

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.

 

[Ed O]

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.

Why does the "ten game rule" exist, then?

This is not a sudden emergence of a rule that was created after the fact... the NBA and NBAPA specifically considered a situation where a player would be legitimately removed from a team's cap and then attempt to make a comeback.

How can the Blazers hope to get a special application of the rule to this situation when it's so clear that the medical retirement situation does not apply?

Ed O.

 

[BlazerBeliever]

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.