Portland has to pay his salary currently but it does not count against the cap. If he signs with a team and plays 10 games than his salary goes back on Portland's cap if I read the article correctly. Frankly I'm all for it just to screw Portland's cap situation up for stealing B. Roy from us.
Brandon Roy!? If we didn't make that trade there is no KG and no banner 17. That trade was for an expiring contract more then anything else.
And Danny wanted Rondo anyway, he just thought #7 was too high to pick him. So he got the expiring contract AND Rondo. That's why there is a banner 17.
1. I have no ill will toward Portland for making the move, and I really don't care anymore about it from our perspective, because as has been pointed out, it worked out great for them. So I don't feel a need to stick it to Portland because they "stole" Roy from us. Ainge didn't want him. I can easily live with that. We got KG, so them getting Roy doesn't matter to me.
2. At the same time, are you guys serious? Let's be honest here. Yes, Theo Ratliff was far better for the T-Wolves' purposes than Raef LaFrentz, who had an extra year on his contract. But don't you think Minnesota would have gladly accepted the extra $10-11 million of contract for the reigning Rookie of the Year instead of a coulda-been-but-never-was in Telfair? And if we gave up Roy and Al for KG, would anybody be saying anything about collusion between McHale and Ainge? No, they'd be saying it was a fair deal - two All-Star caliber talents under 25 for one MVP caliber talent over 30. Again, I don't care one way or the other, but to me, arguing that trading Roy and Raef for Ratliff and Telfair was the thing that allowed the KG trade is ridiculous. I don't see how Al, Gomes, Green, Telfair and Ratliff is a better offer than Al, Roy, Green, Gomes and Raef (with one extra year on his contract). It's a worse offer. We made something amazing out of a bad trade, but it was still a bad trade, and had we not made it, we still could have had that amazing result of getting KG.
3. Yes, Ainge wanted Rondo, but as we all see, we could have had him anyway. Trading away Roy and Raef for Telfair and Ratliff didn't get us Rondo, that's confusing the issues. Rondo still had to fall to 21. Had we drafted Roy (or Foye and done the Foye-Roy deal with Minny) instead of trading the pick, Rondo still would have been there. The only thing that would have prevented us from making the KG deal is if we had picked Rondo at 6 instead of Roy, if he was available. Then, we wouldn't have the expiring contract (Ratliff) or the highly coveted young player (Roy) it would have taken to package with Al. In that scenario, by the way, we would have held onto a pick that Phoenix eventually sold to Portland - Sergio Rodriguez.
4. Like I said before, I don't care that Portland got Roy from us for far less than fair value, and I don't feel any need to stick it to Portland for the Roy trade. That doesn't matter to me. What does matter to me, though, is that Portland got a salary cap exemption because a guy they clearly didn't want for off-court personal reasons got a "career-ending" knee injury (one that already has him working out for other teams).
It's clear to me that a team would take a shot on Miles and his knee in its present condition. The reason nobody might take a shot on him is not his knee but the fact that he's a cancer. That's not deserving of a salary cap exemption, not when we had to keep a dead man (Reggie) on our salary cap for what, 2-3 years, and an alcoholic for 3-4. That's why I would want to stick it to Portland - they never should have been allowed an exemption for Miles, not when we've been treated so brutally when it comes to salary cap exemptions. For that reason, I hope somebody signs Miles and gives him 10 games, not to screw Portland, but to put them in the position they should be in anyway when it comes to the salary cap.
5. For a minimum salary, maybe I'd sign Miles but I wouldn't have high expectations and certainly wouldn't sign him to fill Posey's sixth man role (I still want Posey for that, almost regardless of cost). I also don't want to waste a roster spot on another experiment when this team is in position to repeat.
We have 9 guys under contract - our starting 5, two power forwards (Powe and Davis), a completely unproven backup guard (Pruitt) and a 15th man (Scalabrine). Giddens will be signed soon to back up the 2. Our biggest needs are a backup point guard, a backup small forward, and a backup center. As of right now, my hopes are House, Posey and Chris Andersen. That would bring us to 13. If we get those 3 guys, I'd still love to sign another backup center to the veteran minimum (say, Pollard or Theo Ratliff) and we have Bill Walker and maybe Tony Allen to consider. Plus, I'd love to have a roster spot available for a midseason pickup (another point guard or another big man if we don't get a third going into the season).
To me, whether we should take a shot on Miles, assuming his knee checks out okay, comes down first to whether we fill the 3 necessary roles and whether we're willing to send Walker to Europe for a year. If Walker goes, then I'd be happy to choose between Miles and TA. If Miles can't give you more than TA did, I have no problem keeping TA. I'm not a huge fan of his game, but he's similar with fewer character problems and we know he can fit in with our core. With Miles, it's just a big question.
But if TA gets offered a bunch of money somewhere, and we can bring Miles in for minimum salary (meaning we wouldn't have to pay the luxury tax for his salary, I believe), it's a worthwhile risk for the 15th spot. Especially since we'd be free to let him serve his suspension, play 10 games to increase Portland's cap number and then cut him with few financial problems if there's somebody better available midseason or if he causes any clubhouse problems.
So to me, I would sign Miles if the following conditions are met:
1. we take care of our 6th man (Posey), backup point and backup center spots (roster spots 11-13);
2. we only have one of Walker and Allen under contract for next season (i.e., TA gets offered more cash or Walker goes to Europe);
3. Miles' knee is okay; and
4. Miles signs for the minimum.
Of course, it doesn't matter what I think, and I'll just trust Danny.
Topic: Celtics workout Darius Miles....And the he looks good ?! (Read 21551 times)