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Would Portland have any legal ground to stand on here?
They released him.
The Portland Trail Blazers have issued an unusual warning to rival NBA teams who are thinking about hiring their former player, Darius Miles: Put Miles on the court, say the Blazers, and we may sue you.
"The Portland Trail Blazers will take all necessary steps to safeguard its rights, including, without limitation, litigation,'' wrote Blazers president Larry Miller in an e-mail addressed late Thursday night to all NBA team presidents and general managers. SI.com was provided access to the memo by an NBA team executive.
Miles underwent microfracture surgery to repair his right knee as a member of the Trail Blazers in November 2006. He was released by Portland last April after his injury was judged to be "career-ending'' by an independent medical examiner appointed by the NBA and the players union.
Miles, 27, has attempted a comeback this season, playing a total of eight exhibition and regular-season games with the Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies, who waived him Tuesday to avoid having to guarantee his contract for the rest of the season. The 6-foot-9 Miles had two rebounds and two blocks in seven minutes during his final game with Memphis on Tuesday.
If Miles were to be picked up by an NBA team and play in two more NBA games, his original $9 million salary for this season as well as next season would be reinstated to Portland's official payroll, pushing the Blazers over the luxury tax threshold this season -- costing them millions of dollars -- while hurting their chances to sign a major free agent this summer.
Here is the full text of Miller's statement that was dispatched to rival teams Thursday:
"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 en ies 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.''
A team executive said it was "unprecedented'' for an NBA team to threaten a lawsuit against a rival for signing a player who is a free agent.
The executive speculated that Miles may seek legal action of his own against the Blazers, by claiming that Portland is limiting his right to work.
Miles's agent, Jeff Wechsler, said he could not comment Thursday as he had not yet seen Miller's letter.
LINK: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...les/index.html
Would Portland have any legal ground to stand on here?
They released him.
Easy way to fix it:
Put him (and his full contract - which they willingly took on in the first place) back on Portland's roster.
Then they don't have worry about other teams interfering with them.
, they are all but admitting that he only needs two more games. What if someone signed him, and played him in like 12-13 more games? Could they prove that it was just to them over?
I can't think of how they would. The player is a free agent. They got a GIFT when it was (possibly wrongly) declared a career ending injury.
Okay Portland. I HOPE he gets signed and purposely played 2 games just to them.
Portland can threaten all they want but they can't do about it.
They are going to get so ing sued it's incredible they had the nerve and stupidity to do this. What the ing are they thinking??
If I was a GM and saw this, I would bite just because of the threat. Portland can't do to any team. them stupid criminals.
Hopefully someone calls Portland's bluff. That would never stand up in any court of law. It's not like they are pushing Miles out there on a wheel chair. Two blocks in ten minutes of play this season tells me he's still capable of being an NBA prospect.
The Blazers should win the bags of the year award. I wouldn't be surprised if the players' union gets upset with this memo . . .
What a joke.
How could they ever prove that a team signed him just to screw Portland? If the team signs him and uses him, then oh well.
them, sign him Holt! Call their bluff.
-Mars
Come on, Pop. Do it.
It's not like the Blazers have been doing the Spurs any favors recently. Pritchard is kinda like Kerr in that he bases everything they do in hopes of beating the Spurs.
Time to prove the godfather status
i don't think they can. the player's union would be up in arms over this since they're interfering a player's right to seek livelihood.
Any thoughts, tlongII?
Miles should take legal actions against the Blazers now...this is an incredibly asinine move on the Blazers' part...
Personally, I've had just about enough of Portland and their "silver-spooned" acts of arrogance and en lement. Their talent hoarding was one thing, now this. They act like they are the Boston Celtics. Even if they were, it give them no right to threaten the personnel decisions of other teams.
I hope some team does eventually sign Miles, after all. Perhaps all this bruhaha will temporarily halt all this talk about them being the "team of the future". Instead, they can be known as the team of the court - the judicial court.
Stern should step in and penalize them a first round pick for this kind of garbage. This is seriously funny though. Can you imagine how pissed Miles is and how ready he is to do anything possible to screw them over when Pritchard tries block him from his next paycheck?
ok then the spurs should write a letter to them to review the derek fisher shot in 2004 and the barry foul in last years finals bull i hope the rest of the 29 teams call miles tonight its compe ion your supposed to care about your own team the other teams therre just pissed cuz there going to lose maybe 2 of there big guns within the next few years
P U L L T H E T R I G G E R
id love to sign him, and use him to beat Portland a few times
Sign him, play him a few games. If Portland tries to sue, countersue them for legal fees and convince Stern that an additional penalty must be enforced to prevent the spread of such disruptive attempts: make them give us Batum.
In addition, when Pop announces the new Spur Darius Miles, I want him to do the "Fonzi" at the podium like he did to Shaq. "Ehhhhh, Portland!"
I really wish Pop would sign Miles to a 10-day contract, play him 2 games, and waive him right there, and then have a press conference and say it was to screw the Blazers over. Payback for them throwing huge money at Bowen in '01 to try to keep him from coming here or for taking Derek Anderson only to weaken us. Portland.
or for trading Drexler to Houston so he could screw us over in the 95 WCF.
Yeah it's payback time.
what if someone signs him for the purpose if winning?
hey Portland, go yourself and eat granola
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