Blazers issue warning to other NBA teams not to sign Darius Miles

[tackielarla]

---

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 entities 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.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...les/index.html

***********************************************

Don't you guys find this a bit, erm, odd? Or arrogant of them to release such a statement? The dude is a freakin' FREE AGENT!

[jungie]

y man dumot cla ni miles?

[tackielarla]

Coz if any NBA team signs him and plays him for (at least) 2 days, Miles's salary (18M, AFAIK) will go back to Portland's books, thereby effectively pushing them to the luxury tax neverland (where all NBA teams under the tax receive $250,000 each) and killing their cap space (no free agent signing for them).

[marvel]

Portland Trail Blazers slogan: "Business as usual"

[amamangloy]

can Miles sign another contract with Portland, kana rang barato?

[lunateec22]

can Miles sign another contract with Portland, kana rang barato?

Mao ra gihapon. Maduha na nuon ang bayran sa Blazers kang Miles, ang previous contract ug ang new "barato" contract. Ma-push gihapon sa salary threshold ang Blazers.

Mabutang jud ni na dili na jud makaduwa si Miles unless ma-negotiate nila ang old contract ni Miles through a buyout ba ron or a team that is willing to trade for him.

Miles' injury was supposed to be "career-ending", mao to ila na lang siya gi-release. Ni-comeback man hihuon.

[amamangloy]

Mao ra gihapon. Maduha na nuon ang bayran sa Blazers kang Miles, ang previous contract ug ang new "barato" contract. Ma-push gihapon sa salary threshold ang Blazers.

Mabutang jud ni na dili na jud makaduwa si Miles unless ma-negotiate nila ang old contract ni Miles through a buyout ba ron or a team that is willing to trade for him.

Miles' injury was supposed to be "career-ending", mao to ila na lang siya gi-release. Ni-comeback man hihuon.

i mean ba basin ma-waive off to ang previous contract by allowing him to play for the Blazers at a bargain price.

[marvel]

the Blazers left him for dead and now they are stopping him from signing for other teams. may pa moadto na lang sa Europe si Miles. mas dako pa siya opportunity didto.

[amamangloy]

the Blazers left him for dead and now they are stopping him from signing for other teams. may pa moadto na lang sa Europe si Miles. mas dako pa siya opportunity didto.

or mag-import siya sa PBA

[tackielarla]

Here's an update:

Cavs owner upset with Blazers’ threat

By Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports 7 hours, 3 minutes ago


The Portland Trail Blazers’ threat to possibly sue any team that signs free-agent forward Darius Miles has created a firestorm of reaction around the league.


Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert emailed Blazers president Larry Miller to say he took exception with Portland’s threat.


Yahoo! Sports obtained Gilbert’s email because it was carboned to the rest of the league’s owners and executives.


“With all due respect…although the Cleveland Cavaliers have no interest in signing Darius Miles and will not be signing Darius Miles,” Gilbert wrote, “I find your email quite peculiar from two standpoints:


“1. It’s dead wrong. I believe that all 30 NBA teams were and are fully aware of the terms and provisions of the collective bargaining agreement as to which all teams and the NBA are a party to, including the Portland Trailblazers.



“2. Are legal threats through a mass email the best way to circumvent the known potential consequences that could result from the Trailblazers decisions and actions they took with respect to Darius Miles?


“I fully understand the frustration you and your team’s ownership must be feeling in regards to this situation, but a preemptive threat of ‘litigation’ directed at all of your partners through a group email does not sit well with me and seems to be incongruent with the spirit of keeping a ‘fiduciary duty’ and good ‘partner-like duty’ to your ‘NBA joint venturers.’


“I would think there has got to be a better tactic than this one.”