Blazers Issue Warning About Miles

[cornbreadsmart]

why do i get the feeling if it was (according to the media)the classiest man since jesus of nazareth, grant hill this statement would not have been issued.

[greg_kite]

This situation is fascinating.  First, the Blazers are so screwed.

If someone was threatening them then the letter should have only gone to that one team, not the whole league.  Now they are going to get sued by Darius Miles.  They are going to have the Players Union down their throats.  Other teams won't want to do deals with them because of the condescending letter.  Players won't want to sign there because they'll see how the Blazers treat their former players.  It's a disaster.

The quote about the Blazers benefitting from Miles inability to play no longer being in effect because he has the "ability" to play is spot on.  I wanted the C's to keep him.  They need a tall small forward more than a fourth point guard.  There was a legit reason to have him on the team. 

This move by the Blazers, and some of the other sketchy moves from quotes earlier in the year, are definitely going to spur an investigation.

One question I do have though is whether it's even illegal for a team to sign him just to make the Blazers worse?  If it would benefit Minnesota or Memphis to sign him for two games just to keep the Blazers out of the free agent market, wouldn't it make sense?  It wouldn't just hurt the Blazers, it would actually benefit those teams.  It could also make sense for the Lakers or any other team in competition with the Blazers to try to prevent them from getting better.  It might be a little harsh, but if you're making the competition worse aren't you helping your own chances at winning?

[LarBrd33]

This situation is fascinating.  First, the Blazers are so screwed.

If someone was threatening them then the letter should have only gone to that one team, not the whole league.  Now they are going to get sued by Darius Miles.  They are going to have the Players Union down their throats.  Other teams won't want to do deals with them because of the condescending letter.  Players won't want to sign there because they'll see how the Blazers treat their former players.  It's a disaster.

The quote about the Blazers benefitting from Miles inability to play no longer being in effect because he has the "ability" to play is spot on.  I wanted the C's to keep him.  They need a tall small forward more than a fourth point guard.  There was a legit reason to have him on the team. 

This move by the Blazers, and some of the other sketchy moves from quotes earlier in the year, are definitely going to spur an investigation.

One question I do have though is whether it's even illegal for a team to sign him just to make the Blazers worse?  If it would benefit Minnesota or Memphis to sign him for two games just to keep the Blazers out of the free agent market, wouldn't it make sense?  It wouldn't just hurt the Blazers, it would actually benefit those teams.  It could also make sense for the Lakers or any other team in competition with the Blazers to try to prevent them from getting better.  It might be a little harsh, but if you're making the competition worse aren't you helping your own chances at winning?

True.  That's like part of my reasoning for being on board with signing Marbury is that I don't want to see how much better he could potentially make the Lakers.   If I was a team in direct competition with the Blazers... I would sign Miles.

[PSquared]

Can I point something out that's been bugging me?


Are there Two "Larry Millers" now?


I thought Larry Miller was the owner of the UTAH JAZZ? 

[cordobes]

Can I point something out that's been bugging me?


Are there Two "Larry Millers" now?


I thought Larry Miller was the owner of the UTAH JAZZ? 

Hehe. Yeah, and to make things even worse, none of them is the actor or the former basketball player.

Anyway, good move for the Grizzlies. The Jailblazers (White-Collar version) deserve this.

[crownsy]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-milesupdate011209&prov=yhoo&type=lgns


Wow, really blazers? you tried to claim the kid off waviers to de-activate him for the rest of the season?

The blazers are opening themselves up to all kinds of legal action. The above (claiming him specificly to not play him) opens them up something FIERCE to the insurance company currently paying darius. That's pretty blatant insurance fraud.


EDIT: roy, or one of our other celtics lawyers, do you think this increses miles and the insurance companies postion in a potential suit or has no effect?

[Roy Hobbs]

EDIT: roy, or one of our other celtics lawyers, do you think this increses miles and the insurance companies postion in a potential suit or has no effect?

At present, I doubt it does much in any potential lawsuit.  If the Blazers had been successful in claiming him, though, and refused to play him, Miles would have had a lawsuit for tortious interference with his right to work, and the insurance company probably would have had a fraud case, as well (it's impossible to know for sure without knowing what the insurance provisions / liabilities / contingencies were.)

[crownsy]

EDIT: roy, or one of our other celtics lawyers, do you think this increses miles and the insurance companies postion in a potential suit or has no effect?

At present, I doubt it does much in any potential lawsuit.  If the Blazers had been successful in claiming him, though, and refused to play him, Miles would have had a lawsuit for tortious interference with his right to work, and the insurance company probably would have had a fraud case, as well (it's impossible to know for sure without knowing what the insurance provisions / liabilities / contingencies were.)

TP, was curious, thanks.

Blazers are looking scumier and scumier in this whole situation.

I mean, you try to blatantly subvert the salary cap, the league blocks you, and then you send a threatining letter to teams? at least make it a phone call off the grid.did you really expect some GM not to leak a letter after your attempt at an end run around the NBA's salary rules?

What a PR and legal nightmare.

[LarBrd33]

I told  you man... this whole situation is very sketchy. 

I think it needs to be investigated.  Some of the things the Blazers have done in this situation seems like they are trying to cheat the salary cap rules.  They have done everything possible to get Miles off their books despite the fact he doesn't have a career ending injury. 

[LarBrd33]

You know... the Blazers might hate Memphis right now and freeze them out of trades... but you gotta figure the rest of the league has mad respect for the Grizz for signing Miles.   

[nickagneta]

I told  you man... this whole situation is very sketchy. 

I think it needs to be investigated.  Some of the things the Blazers have done in this situation seems like they are trying to cheat the salary cap rules.  They have done everything possible to get Miles off their books despite the fact he doesn't have a career ending injury. 

The more I read the more I have to agree with you Larbrd. This is getting murkier and murkier and if this is what's out in the open what the heck was happening behind the scenes?

I think I see Congressional hearings in the NBA's future. Hehehe

[Brickowski]

The Blazers were also trying to collect Miles' salary from the insurance company. The insurers will now stop paying.

In fairness to the Blazers, it was a league-approved doctor who declared Miles' injuries to be career-ending, not a Blazers doctor.

The doctor was wrong, however, and the Blazers should have been thankful that the erroneous medical evaluation saved them a little luxury tax last year and moved on, instead of compounding the mistake.

I'm sure that Paul Allen has a few dollars left, even in today's economy.