Players Union Fights Back (D Miles)

[GabeIsGone]

The NBA players' union said Friday it will file a grievance against the Portland Trail Blazers after team president Larry Miller threatened litigation if a team picks up Darius Miles simply to adversely impact Portland's salary cap.
Miles

Before the 6-foot-9 small forward cleared waivers Friday morning, Miller sent an e-mail to the other 29 NBA teams as a warning that the Blazers would sue.

If Miles plays in two more games this season, Portland would be on the hook for $18 million -- the amount remaining on Miles' contract, which would count against the salary cap and force the team to pay luxury tax next summer. The contract had been removed from salary-cap and tax considerations when the Blazers deemed Miles medically unable to play and released him.

"We are shocked at the brazen attempt by the Portland Trail Blazers to try to prevent Darius Miles from continuing his NBA career," NBPA executive director Billy Hunter said in a statement Friday. "Their attempt to intimidate the other 29 NBA teams by threatening frivolous litigation merely for signing this capable NBA veteran is a clear violation of the anti-collusion and other provisions of our Collective Bargaining Agreement. We will vigorously defend Darius' rights."

The matter was added to Friday's agenda at a previously scheduled meeting between NBA and players' union attorneys.

In a memo sent to its 30 teams Friday that announced Miles had cleared waivers, the league office acknowledged it received the e-mail Portland distributed.

The NBA in its statement also seemed to indicate that it would support any club wishing to sign the veteran forward.

Numerous league executives contacted by ESPN.com suggested Friday that a line in the memo confirming that "teams are free to sign Darius Miles to a Uniform Player Contract" and that "any such contract would be approved by the NBA" are a first in a league-issued waiver notice.

"Darius Miles is focused on one thing -- that's returning to play basketball. That's it. He's not focusing on any of those other issues," said agent Jeff Wechsler, who was on the phone Friday morning with union attorneys trying to devise a strategy to confront what many around the league were describing as an unprecedented situation.

Although the Blazers have exposed themselves to censure from the league office for the tone of their note to fellow teams regarding Miles -- as well as a hostile reaction from the players' union -- one team did express some sympathy for their position Friday.

"It's a lot of money," Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told ESPN.com on Friday, referring to millions in future salary-cap space that the Blazers could lose if Miles' contract is restored to Portland's payroll.

"For that much, I would be sending e-mails, too."

The Blazers' e-mail, signed by Miller, states that if any team were to sign the free-agent forward "for the purpose of adversely impacting the Portland Trail Blazers' Salary Cap and tax positions ... the Portland Trail Blazers will take all necessary steps to safeguard its rights, including, without limitation, litigation."


Espn (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3822392)

[tp2021]

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113977&page=6

Third post down.

[BruceBowenFan]

beat me to it.

[Obstructed_View]

If the Spurs were ever going to offer Udoka to Portland for Batum, now would be the time. An email saying, "We plan to shore up our 3-4 position, and would like to go young instead of taking a chance on any available free agents." would fit nicely. Obviously the Blazers understand the language of threats.

[tp2021]

beat me to it.
Now that I look at it, they are slightly different.

[tp2021]

If the Spurs were ever going to offer Udoka to Portland for Batum, now would be the time. An email saying, "We plan to shore up our 3-4 position, and would like to go young instead of taking a chance on any available free agents." would fit nicely. Obviously the Blazers understand the language of threats.

Heeeeeells yeah!

[benefactor]

If the Spurs were ever going to offer Udoka to Portland for Batum, now would be the time. An email saying, "We plan to shore up our 3-4 position, and would like to go young instead of taking a chance on any available free agents." would fit nicely. Obviously the Blazers understand the language of threats.
Hell, if we are going to go that road I would try to squeeze Travis Outlaw out of them.

[Obstructed_View]

Hell, if we are going to go that road I would try to squeeze Travis Outlaw out of them.

That's why I'd offer Udoka for Batum. You take back your guy and give me mine, and I won't fuck you for nine million dollars.

[SenorSpur]

That's why I'd offer Udoka for Batum. You take back your guy and give me mine, and I won't fuck you for nine million dollars.

Absolute genius move!

[toki9]

I think Memphis is most likely to sign him on a series of 10-days...

[pad300]

Nah, as I proposed earlier, sign Miles and then trade him to the Blazers for Batum or Fernandez. That's the only method of making Blackmail practical. If we offer not to sign him, it would only secure them against 1 of 29 other teams in the league, they would have to pay off multiple teams that way; then it becomes just not worth it. However, if a team signed Miles, and then traded him to them for whatever team X wanted, then a) Miles is on Portlands roster and they can control if he plays, and b) he can't sign with another team. Finally, they can dress it up all PC, and keep Miles from playing on the advice of their own medical staff (after all, these people say he has a career ending injury)... Provided Miles keeps his mouth shut and doesn't disrupt their bench, he can rehab and work out with the team to help get ready for next season as an FA, while collecting a paycheck. He'll even get a rep for being a guy you can do business with, which won't hurt him next contract negotiation...

[SenorSpur]

Sign Miles to one 10-day contract. Cut a deal with Portland, in that the Spurs will agree not to play Miles the 2 games, but only if the Blazers will "unass" Batum via trade. If you want to send back Udoka as part of the deal - that's fine. Spurs can even play Miles in 1 game just to make it look legit. This is such an odd "twist of fate", that I can't believe the Blazers are this vulnerable. I hope the Spurs or some other team will exploit this.

[Indazone]

Houston has one roster space available and about $450,000 of cap space.

[Bruno]

:lmao @ people thinking Spurs can do some kind of blackmail with Portland. That's plain stupid.

[SenorSpur]

I don't expect the Spurs the stoop to that level. It's just tongue-in-cheek. However, I fully expect some team to take another flyer on Miles, and not just to screw Portland.

[Sigz]

Sign Miles to one 10-day contract. Cut a deal with Portland, in that the Spurs will agree not to play Miles the 2 games, but only if the Blazers will "unass" Batum via trade. If you want to send back Udoka as part of the deal - that's fine. Spurs can even play Miles in 1 game just to make it look legit. This is such an odd "twist of fate", that I can't believe the Blazers are this vulnerable. I hope the Spurs or some other team will exploit this.

I would cream in my pants, twice, if that happened.

[xtremesteven33]

I don't expect the Spurs the stoop to that level. It's just tongue-in-cheek.

:rolleyes

[pad300]

:lmao @ people thinking Spurs can do some kind of blackmail with Portland. That's plain stupid.

I agree, it's not too likely that the Spurs would play that game. However, I do believe the old adage - "If your going to do something, do it right". The only was to make it work is by making Miles a controlled threat rather than one usable by all the Blazers potential opponents... So you have to keep him on your roster or move him to Portland's somehow, rather than leaving him free to sign with someone else again.

[Ice009]

That's why I'd offer Udoka for Batum. You take back your guy and give me mine, and I won't fuck you for nine million dollars.

Why would Portland do that? Some other team could sign him after. Is Portland going to makes trades with all the teams so no one signs Miles? ;).

[Bruno]

I agree, it's not too likely that the Spurs would play that game.

It's not "too likely", it's just impossible.
These kind of under the table deal are forbidden by the CBA.

[Mr. Body]

If one team 'blackmails' Portland, all 29 teams will. It's silly and won't happen.

[pad300]

I agree, it's not too likely that the Spurs would play that game. However, I do believe the old adage - "If your going to do something, do it right". The only was to make it work is by making Miles a controlled threat rather than one usable by all the Blazers potential opponents... So you have to keep him on your roster or move him to Portland's somehow, rather than leaving him free to sign with someone else again.


It's not "too likely", it's just impossible.
These kind of under the table deal are forbidden by the CBA.


If one team 'blackmails' Portland, all 29 teams will. It's silly and won't happen.

There is no "under the table deal" - Team X signs Miles and trades him to Portland for whatever they come up with in a deal with Portland - be that a pick, a prospect, cash, whatever... Just like the Spurs, if they wanted to, could sit TD for the rest of the season over a "internal disciplinary matter", Portland doesn't put Miles on the active roster...

Meanwhile Mr. Body, as I said in my original post - you have to make Miles a controlled threat, rather than a weapon any opponent of the blazers can pick up. That means you need to sign him for the rest of the season so that he's either on Portlands roster (where they have control of him playing), or on Team X's roster (where team is the one who controls the possibility of him playing).

[Bruno]

There is no "under the table deal" - Team X signs Miles and trades him to Portland for whatever they come up with in a deal with Portland - be that a pick, a prospect, cash, whatever... Just like the Spurs, if they wanted to, could sit TD for the rest of the season over a "internal disciplinary matter", Portland doesn't put Miles on the active roster...


If a team signs Miles today, this team won't be able to trade him before the trade deadline due to trade restriction.

And yes, even your impossible scenario is an 'under the table" deal. The league isn't that stupid and will see the obvious.

[tp2021]

And yes, even your impossible scenario is an 'under the table" deal. The league isn't that stupid and will see the obvious.

I don't know...

Brent back to SA, Dice back to Detroit.

[50 cent]

Somebody's going to sign him and it's going to be greatness.

[Chieflion]

Good. At least the player union is doing their job.

[baseline bum]

That's why I'd offer Udoka for Batum. You take back your guy and give me mine, and I won't fuck you for nine million dollars.

Actually, more like $27 million... $18 million they'd have to pay instead of having insurance cover it + $9 million luxury tax hit.

[Yorae]

Portland's in deep shit.

[45 bank shot]

http://laiba.tianya.cn/laiba/images/1171615/12313322052033235770/A/1/m.jpgjust plain stupid

[Biggems]

if we were actually to sign Miles and then use him as trade bait to get Batum......that would be highway robbery....and I would have infinitely more respect for RC and Pop than I already have.

Actually, what I would like even more, is for us to trade Miles and Udoka for Batum and Frye. Frye gives us a young, athletic, low cost big, which we desperately need.

[Obstructed_View]

:lmao @ people thinking Spurs can do some kind of blackmail with Portland. That's plain stupid.

The only thing stupider is someone taking it seriously.

[m33p0]

you guys are criminals. :lol