Grizzlies Sign Darius Miles

[J_Ray]

It might be, but that raises the question if you are more worried about "cock blocking" another team than actively trying to improve your own, then doesn't that damage your chances to go out and lure these free agents you're supposedly competing to sign? I know lots of players are going to follow the money regardless (eg. Baron Davis), but more than a couple are probably going to hesitate to sign an offer sheet when they aren't sure about their chances of winning.

In any case, it's already been made clear that KP still is going to have plenty of cap room even with Miles back on the books; he'll have the option to renounce guys like Diogu and Channing, or decline Blake's option, etc. if he's really interested in getting a max guy. So all Wallace's efforts could end up being mostly in vain.

Being a Jazz fan, I would love to see Miles play the 10 games Memphis may just be trying to jockey for position in the lottery to land Blake Griffin and then be the only team with cap. Also if the Blazers had to let go of guys like Frye or Blake, it takes away some of their depth and leadership IMO, so it's not that easy to just let guys go to sign a FA.

Wow, I must have missed that. When did Darius have the No. 3 selling jersey in the world?

This is what I was thinking when I read this lol

 

[ucatchtrout]

send Tonya Harding to Memphis

 

[Nikolokolus]

Being a Jazz fan, I would love to see Miles play the 10 games Memphis may just be trying to jockey for position in the lottery to land Blake Griffin and then be the only team with cap. Also if the Blazers had to let go of guys like Frye or Blake, it takes away some of their depth and leadership IMO, so it's not that easy to just let guys go to sign a FA.

Losing Blake could hurt (so I doubt he's a player that gets let go), but Frye is not really a "leader," great guy, really smart and funny, but as a power forward I won't shed a tear if he's let go. The difference in cap room we're talking about here is 20-25 million minus Darius, or 11-16 with Darius on the Blazers cap. Honestly I doubt the Blazers are really looking at a max contract guy anyway; they'll almost certainly be offering Roy and Aldridge max or close to max extensions over the summer, and probably Oden the summer after, so the notion of carrying 4 such contracts seems not only financially foolish, but could make for an uncomfortable "too many chiefs, not enough indians" situation.

It's funny, there's this misconception floating around that Darius getting signed and playing somehow torpedoes the Blazers free agency plans; Miles being medically retired was just the extra helping of whipped cream on top, and was never a make or break factor.

 

[drexlersdad]

Can people who dislike Miles immensely, and have called him fat and lazy and worthless, explain why he would work hard to get back into the NBA?

Boredom?

Ed O.

more like MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

i dont care if i had 50 million dollars, i would still play a game for a few million more. for as long as i could.

 

[anonymous gambler]

Memphis has instantly become one of my least favorite teams. I hope Rudy Gay becomes buddies with Darius.

They are screwing with our ability to add a 2nd major free agent in the off season.

 

[gambitnut]

Wow, I must have missed that. When did Darius have the No. 3 selling jersey in the world?

BNM

I assumed he meant the No. 3 on the back of the jersey, not the No. 3 top selling jersery in the world.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I assumed he meant the No. 3 on the back of the jersey, not the No. 3 top selling jersery in the world.

Miles never wore number 3. He wore 21 with the Clipps and Cavs and 23 with the Blazers. I'd have a hard time believing his jersey was ever in the top 23 selling jerseys in the world, let alone the top 3.

BNM

 

[gambitnut]

Miles never wore number 3. He wore 21 with the Clipps and Cavs and 23 with the Blazers. I'd have a hard time believing his jersey was ever in the top 23 selling jerseys in the world, let alone the top 3.

BNM

Right. It has been so long, I forgot about that extra 2 in his number.

 

[MrJayremmie]

IDK, I don't think this is a big deal. IF (and that is a big if) he sits out the 10 games on their active roster and then plays 10 games, and if we don't appeal or lose an appeal, I think that we wouldn't add a player that would be more expensive then lets say 10mil either. Or, more likely, we will go through a trade and having almost 15mil extra would allow us to really obtain anyone we are after.

If Miles is ready to play, then good for him. I don't hate the Grizz.

Edit - hmm.. the MSP said that if Miles comes back, and we keep the option on everyone except Frye and Diogu then we'd only have 6 mil free? Woah... I thought we were near 25mil under w/o Miles?

 

[Nikolokolus]

IDK, I don't think this is a big deal. IF (and that is a big if) he sits out the 10 games on their active roster and then plays 10 games, and if we don't appeal or lose an appeal, I think that we wouldn't add a player that would be more expensive then lets say 10mil either. Or, more likely, we will go through a trade and having almost 15mil extra would allow us to really obtain anyone we are after.

If Miles is ready to play, then good for him. I don't hate the Grizz.

Edit - hmm.. the MSP said that if Miles comes back, and we keep the option on everyone except Frye and Diogu then we'd only have 6 mil free? Woah... I thought we were near 25mil under w/o Miles?

They're wrong on the exact figure. Going by Storyteller's figures: (http://www.storytellerscontracts.info/resources/08-09salaries.htm) If the Blazers were to renounce Ike and Channing, plus not picking up their options on Steve and Travis, they'd be committed to 33.6 million in salary, with a projected soft salary cap figure of ~59 million dollars (maybe less if the league doesn't do well in this current economy) We're looking at at max salary cap figure of about 25.5 million, with Miles added back to the books the team could still be looking 16 million of cap space, which still leaves them with a ton of money to go out and get a couple of very good FAs and still have their mid-level exception to add yet another quality player. The team choosing not to renounce Super Trout and Blake cuts those figures by 7.6 million which gives the team a minimum of 8.5 million in cap room should they choose to keep both of them -- At this point it looks very unlikely that Ike and Channing's enormous cap-holds (roughly 12 million apiece) would be allowed to sit on the books.

The bottom line is that Miles getting signed and playing does not kill the team's ability to shop for free agents, it just means that KP will have to make some slightly difficult choices.

 

[MrJayremmie]

That is what I was thinking. Worst case scenerio we have like 10 mil after excersizing Blake and Trout. That gives us a bunch of money to sign a really nice player or make a trade and take back a bunch of cap in return.

We are fine.

Anyway, how are ya'll doin' with the snow. Did you guys go to work? Its like 20 degrees here, lol. And its icey, but I took a drive and it was fun as hell.

 

[BatumKaboom]

Alright, I'm getting a pound of weed, 10 pints of Ben and Jerry's and driving to Memphis. I'll handle this shit.

LMFAO!!!! Awesome post!!!!!!

 

[BatumKaboom]

That is what I was thinking. Worst case scenerio we have like 10 mil after excersizing Blake and Trout. That gives us a bunch of money to sign a really nice player or make a trade and take back a bunch of cap in return.

We are fine.

Anyway, how are ya'll doin' with the snow. Did you guys go to work? Its like 20 degrees here, lol. And its icey, but I took a drive and it was fun as hell.

I went out 4x4ing with my son yesterday in the snow! It was really fun.

 

[MrJayremmie]

Nice!

 

[Masbee]

They're wrong on the exact figure. Going by Storyteller's figures: (http://www.storytellerscontracts.info/resources/08-09salaries.htm) If the Blazers were to renounce Ike and Channing, plus not picking up their options on Steve and Travis, they'd be committed to 33.6 million in salary, with a projected soft salary cap figure of ~59 million dollars (maybe less if the league doesn't do well in this current economy) We're looking at at max salary cap figure of about 25.5 million, with Miles added back to the books the team could still be looking 16 million of cap space, which still leaves them with a ton of money to go out and get a couple of very good FAs and still have their mid-level exception to add yet another quality player. The team choosing not to renounce Super Trout and Blake cuts those figures by 7.6 million which gives the team a minimum of 8.5 million in cap room should they choose to keep both of them -- At this point it looks very unlikely that Ike and Channing's enormous cap-holds (roughly 12 million apiece) would be allowed to sit on the books.

The bottom line is that Miles getting signed and playing does not kill the team's ability to shop for free agents, it just means that KP will have to make some slightly difficult choices.

If a team arranges to have cap space in an off-season, they give up their "exceptions", ie, the MLE (Mid Level Exception).

So, if Miles goes back to their cap space this summer, I think it has a pretty big impact on KP's ability to sign free agents. He can try to make a big splash, but can't easily restock the bench, not having an MLE or tons of cap space to use. With Miles eating up space, either he signs 1 above MLE, but not anywhere near MAX free agent, while keeping Steve and Travis, or Steve and Travis are cut loose, and KP can sign 1 Max free agent or 2 above MLE free agents or make a big lopsided salary trade.

 

[noknobs]

Can people who dislike Miles immensely, and have called him fat and lazy and worthless, explain why he would work hard to get back into the NBA?

Boredom?

Ed O.

... Maybe because his acting career hasn't really panned out and this is all he can do. Faced with the prospect of trying to earn money elsewhere, he suddenly has a semblance of motivation. He could still have hope of gaining another contract in a few years. There are tons of reasons why anyone would rather play in the NBA as opposed to living in obscurity and unemployment.

Despite the Gasol trade, Memphis was still one of the few western conference teams I didn't hate... that has changed. Now the list is down to Oklahoma City and...

 

[Ed O]

... Maybe because his acting career hasn't really panned out and this is all he can do. Faced with the prospect of trying to earn money elsewhere, he suddenly has a semblance of motivation. He could still have hope of gaining another contract in a few years. There are tons of reasons why anyone would rather play in the NBA as opposed to living in obscurity and unemployment.

He's still making money, isn't he? Getting the guaranteed contract that the Blazers signed him to.

Even if he's just motivated by money and fame, that doesn't seem to be quite the lazy piece of crap that so many people had painted Miles as.

Ed O.

 

[noknobs]

He's still making money, isn't he? Getting the guaranteed contract that the Blazers signed him to.

Even if he's just motivated by money and fame, that doesn't seem to be quite the lazy piece of crap that so many people had painted Miles as.

Ed O.

Did you not read where I said he's probably holding out hope at getting another contract in a few years? He's not that old. Nobody had to paint Miles as a lazy piece of crap, he did that quite well himself out on the court, and he proved himself to be a chronic under-acheiver and distraction on multiple teams. This is not classified information, look it up. He's not on Bonzi's level, that's evidenced by the fact teams are even looking at him, but don't pretend now, after the fact, that he was anything he was not.

 

[Ed O]

Did you not read where I said he's probably holding out hope at getting another contract in a few years?

Sure I did. Of course, you also posted about him pursuing an acting career, which he hasn't done in years. I thought you were joking on both fronts.

He's not that old. Nobody had to paint Miles as a lazy piece of crap, he did that quite well himself out on the court, and he proved himself to be a chronic under-acheiver and distraction on multiple teams. This is not classified information, look it up. He's not on Bonzi's level, that's evidenced by the fact teams are even looking at him, but don't pretend now, after the fact, that he was anything he was not.

It has nothing to do with "after the fact" except insofar as those who claimed he was and always has been lazy are being confronted with evidence that seems to run contrary to that bit of dogma.

Miles signed a contract for tens of millions of dollars. He then had a surgical procedure that is deemed one of the most serious that an NBA player can have. He was then given leave to retire with his money and just chill.

Most people would argue, I think, that a "lazy piece of crap" would do just that: take the money and relax. Be lazy. Instead, he worked to get back into the NBA in spite of the fact that there has been no guarantee of him making a single dollar from it.

In spite of his hard work and perseverance, you're claiming that there's no chance he's ever been anything other than lazy.

Amazing.

Ed O.

 

[noknobs]

In spite of his hard work and perseverance, you're claiming that there's no chance he's ever been anything other than lazy.

I don't believe I ever claimed he's never been anything other than lazy, just that he was in fact generally lazy. We all have our moments, even you.


But I'm sure he's just misunderstood. Everyone else is wrong, Miles and Ed_O are right.


I've never claimed coming back from serious injury didn't require motivation. That is why I said he seems to have a semblance of motivation, maybe you missed that too. He's floated through his career, and taken it for granted. Now when he's faced with losing it all, he wants it back. Good for him, that doesn't excuse him for his past, and I'm under no obligation to sugarcoat his past, which apparently you are.

 

[Nikolokolus]

If a team arranges to have cap space in an off-season, they give up their "exceptions", ie, the MLE (Mid Level Exception).

So, if Miles goes back to their cap space this summer, I think it has a pretty big impact on KP's ability to sign free agents. He can try to make a big splash, but can't easily restock the bench, not having an MLE or tons of cap space to use. With Miles eating up space, either he signs 1 above MLE, but not anywhere near MAX free agent, while keeping Steve and Travis, or Steve and Travis are cut loose, and KP can sign 1 Max free agent or 2 above MLE free agents or make a big lopsided salary trade.

Ah, I didn't realize the rules for exceptions worked like that. In any case I still think the team has a fair amount of wiggle room, and if they are really all that desperate for a backup power forward to replace Ike and/or Channing (Travis too I guess) you have to wonder if Freeland would be suitable or a banger picked up in the draft? Whatever happens it seems like a choice between good and better cap flexibility, not bad or good.

 

[STOMP]

But I'm sure he's just misunderstood. Everyone else is wrong, Miles and Ed_O are right.

when did I start agreeing with you on this? It's pretty amazing that you'd think your thoughts represent everyone else's.

STOMP

 

[noknobs]

when did I start agreeing with you on this? It's pretty amazing that you'd think your thoughts represent everyone else's.

STOMP

God some of you take everything a tad too literal. "The vast majority of fans and media." There, that better? Did I offend any sensitive souls with that?

So STOMP, why do you think he's misunderstood? Why did the world at large conspire against him?

 

[BBert]

I'm not too worried about the Miles "situation." For one I seriously doubt he can play NBA basketball for 10 games, particularly after practicing hard during the preceding 10-game stretch. I also doubt the Griz are trying to screw us. I know I wouldn't screw with one of the richest men in the world. And the Memphis people should really not try to outwit KP.

Regardless, I hope that instead of jockeying for max cap space and hoping to sign a free agent, KP is able to use Raef's contract and some spare parts to get a "difference maker" or big time player on the team before the trade deadline.

Even if the Blazers end up letting Raef expire and stand pat with the team, I think this team will develop nicely. Don't forget, we still have Freeland and Kopo in the pipeline.

 

[Erroneous Subterfuge]

God some of you take everything a tad too literal. "The vast majority of fans and media." There, that better? Did I offend any sensitive souls with that?

So STOMP, why do you think he's misunderstood? Why did the world at large conspire against him?

Miles is not misunderstood. Some people like to act all PC and objective about stuff like this. But I bet these same people wouldn't want Miles back on the team, even if healthy, and that's more telling than anything they might argue to the contrary.

 

[Ed O]

I've never claimed coming back from serious injury didn't require motivation. That is why I said he seems to have a semblance of motivation, maybe you missed that too. He's floated through his career, and taken it for granted. Now when he's faced with losing it all, he wants it back. Good for him, that doesn't excuse him for his past, and I'm under no obligation to sugarcoat his past, which apparently you are.

Maybe you don't know what a "semblance" of something means. It means, so you know, something like the original, but not the same. An outward appearance.

By saying he has a "semblance of motivation", you are saying that he lacks actual motivation.

If you keep claiming that I fail to read your posts, at least please use words that mean what you seem to think they mean.

Ed O.

 

[noknobs]

Maybe you don't know what a "semblance" of something means. It means, so you know, something like the original, but not the same. An outward appearance.

By saying he has a "semblance of motivation", you are saying that he lacks actual motivation.

If you keep claiming that I fail to read your posts, at least please use words that mean what you seem to think they mean.

Ed O.

Are you really this anal in person, or just over the internet? I bet you're a hoot at parties. Do you have nothing else to add, other than pick apart the phrases I use? My meaning is that while he's not a motivated individual, he's showing some temporarily at the moment as he comes back from injury. So it's a semblance of 'real' motivation. I don't believe it's a permanent fixture of his personality. If that doesn't make sense to someone like you, I can live with it.

Maybe you could enlighten me as to why you'd want Miles back on the team? Since you seem to think he's motivated, reborn, or whatever. No problems, no baggage. The media just made it all up, right? Luckily you're here to set things straight.

 

[Minstrel]

God some of you take everything a tad too literal. "The vast majority of fans and media." There, that better? Did I offend any sensitive souls with that?

You sound a bit sensitive and defensive yourself. I don't think people object to "everyone agrees with me" comments due to being overly literal, but because it's a silly and annoying tactic to try to claim the unspoken support of the community at large. Either you can defend your position or you can't...reducing it (implicitly) to "Well, I'm probably right because everyone agrees with me and not with you" is poor debate/discussion form.

 

[noknobs]

Either you can defend your position or you can't...reducing it (implicitly) to "Well, I'm probably right because everyone agrees with me and not with you" is poor debate/discussion form.

Oh, you're so right... Why bring up the fact that most media, NBA personnel, and knowledgable NBA fans share my viewpoint... It's completely irrelevant... It must be some sort of mass hysteria and should be dismissed accordingly. No lets instead focus on the definition of 'semblance' - that's much better debate/discussion form.

 

[maxiep]

So, has he been signed or not?