RealGM

Posted: **Fri Jan 9, 2009 5:26 pm**

The Portland Trail Blazers have placed a warning to other NBA teams that if they signed Darius Miles and put him on the court, they may get sued, according to a report by Ian Thompsen from Sports Illustrated.

"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.''

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archi ... out_miles/

lol i posted this mainly for laughs and giggles...but can they seriously do that? i mean isnt that violation of CBA? thoughts? :lol:

we should sign him just to piss off blazers

Posted: **Fri Jan 9, 2009 5:28 pm**

Same thing I posted on the Blazers board..

B-i-t-you know the rest.. move by the Blazers front office. Trying to restrict the guy from resuming his career to do what he loves is just ridiculous. If I was the Lakers I'd sign him to a 10 day right now.

Posted: **Fri Jan 9, 2009 5:33 pm**

it would be like sayin we waived radmanovic...and then told the rest of the league to not sign his butt or else we sue. get serious blazers, its a tough world out there..u were dumb to let the guy go so someone else could pick him up and possibly hurt ur economic chances. why shouldnt another team sign him even if it was to hurt the blazers financially. its a good strategy and its blazers fault they got themselves into that mess. tough luck

Posted: **Fri Jan 9, 2009 5:34 pm**

Per wiretap, link: http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/ ... out_miles/

Sorry I'm not sure how to post a few paragraphs from the article, buts its atop the wiretap headlines this morning.

FWIW from a lawyer (not a litigator though), this is mostly posturing because it will be extremely difficult to prove that a team signed Miles in bad faith, e.g. just to stick it to the Blazers.

The threat is borderline laughable. On another level, the potential effects this could have on Miles' playing career are devastating. By trying to bully other teams the Blazers are making it much more difficult for Miles to find a new home (Miles may even have a lawsuit himself, but again it would be very difficult for him to prove he has been harmed).

I would expect to see a comment/action by Miles' agent in the near future.

Are you guys as put off by this as I am?

Posted: **Fri Jan 9, 2009 5:44 pm**

I specifically think we should do it... but only after trying him out with another player of the same position. If you try out a pair, have a roster spot, and an injury like LO's how could they ever win a suit? That's such a lame threat.

Posted: **Fri Jan 9, 2009 5:45 pm**

i think this is in the NBA thread too (triple post

) who knew this was such a big deal

don't like this move by the blazers, seems petty

and i really hope someone signs him now

Posted: **Fri Jan 9, 2009 5:57 pm**

well i guess i'll start it off by saying......

DO IT MITCH!

Posted: **Fri Jan 9, 2009 6:19 pm**

Oh this is going to come back and bight the Blazers in the ass real good.

Posted: **Fri Jan 9, 2009 6:22 pm**

I don't think the Blazers are worried about the Lakers signing him.. The Blazers threat is to teams that do not have a need for him and are doing it simply for the sake of getting the Blazers in trouble with Salary cap..

This threat is pointed towards teams way below salary cap and could afford some better players in the market but are not going after them and picking up miles not for his game but just to get money back from the Salary cap revenue share..

Reasons for bringing on players tend to get leak out.. Blazers gave no such threat when the celtics or the Heat signed and waived him..
In my opinion the Blazers are justified in doing so..

Posted: **Fri Jan 9, 2009 6:32 pm**

kevin_405 wrote:I don't think the Blazers are worried about the Lakers signing him.. The Blazers threat is to teams that do not have a need for him and are doing it simply for the sake of getting the Blazers in trouble with Salary cap..

This threat is pointed towards teams way below salary cap and could afford some better players in the market but are not going after them and picking up miles not for his game but just to get money back from the Salary cap revenue share..

Reasons for bringing on players tend to get leak out.. Blazers gave no such threat when the celtics or the Heat signed and waived him..
In my opinion the Blazers are justified in doing so..

Preventing someone from working? I dont see any justice in that.

Posted: **Fri Jan 9, 2009 6:32 pm**

On a serious note, it would be difficult to prove that a team would sign miles just to hurt the blazers. Unless if they're stupid enough to say it on tape as evidence. Miles has the same right as anyone else to play for a team when healthy and he's healthy and ready to play. Not his fault they gave him so much.

I say bring it on. Trying to bully the league... shame on the front office. Their fault for signing him and especially for giving him so much $$$ in the first place.

Do it mitch, i want to see how they're going to fight this in court (no punn intended..hehe)

Posted: **Fri Jan 9, 2009 6:46 pm**

Blazers are not preventing anyone from signing.. All they are saying is dont sign him just to stick it to us.. Sign him if ur intention is to improve ur team..

TonyMontana wrote:Preventing someone from working? I dont see any justice in that.

Posted: **Fri Jan 9, 2009 6:49 pm**

We dont need Miles because we have plenty of people who play at that position..

It would be wrong for 3 reasons..

1> We are already over the cap
2> We have no room for him in our rotation
3> We have nothing to gain from sticking it to the Blazers.. It would be only for sadistic reasons.. and i know the lakers are better than that

lakersfanatic wrote:On a serious note, it would be difficult to prove that a team would sign miles just to hurt the blazers. Unless if they're stupid enough to say it on tape as evidence. Miles has the same right as anyone else to play for a team when healthy and he's healthy and ready to play. Not his fault they gave him so much.

I say bring it on. Trying to bully the league... shame on the front office. Their fault for signing him and especially for giving him so much $$$ in the first place.

Do it mitch, i want to see how they're going to fight this in court (no punn intended..hehe)

Posted: **Fri Jan 9, 2009 7:19 pm**

Not prevention, but perhaps tortious interference with business relationships. This could result if Miles shows that the Blazers' memo interfered with his ability to establish a business relationship (i.e. sign a contract). As I said above, it would be difficult to prove, but its a good argument.

kevin_405 wrote:Blazers are not preventing anyone from signing.. All they are saying is dont sign him just to stick it to us.. Sign him if ur intention is to improve ur team..

TonyMontana wrote:Preventing someone from working? I dont see any justice in that.

Posted: **Fri Jan 9, 2009 7:22 pm**

kevin_405 wrote:We dont need Miles because we have plenty of people who play at that position..

It would be wrong for 3 reasons..

1> We are already over the cap
2> We have no room for him in our rotation
3> We have nothing to gain from sticking it to the Blazers.. It would be only for sadistic reasons.. and i know the lakers are better than that

lakersfanatic wrote:On a serious note, it would be difficult to prove that a team would sign miles just to hurt the blazers. Unless if they're stupid enough to say it on tape as evidence. Miles has the same right as anyone else to play for a team when healthy and he's healthy and ready to play. Not his fault they gave him so much.

I say bring it on. Trying to bully the league... shame on the front office. Their fault for signing him and especially for giving him so much $$$ in the first place.

Do it mitch, i want to see how they're going to fight this in court (no punn intended..hehe)

I've said in numerous other threads, I completely disagree with signing him just to stick it to the Blazers.

BUT, your're wrong to say we have nothing to gain by doing it. If Miles is put back on the Blazers' payroll, they would be hamstrung in the free agent market for this season AND the next. They would be paying the luxury tax AND it may force them to trade away current talent if they want to get under the tax limit.

This could have devastating effects on their ability to compete for TWO years. That is huge.

Posted: **Fri Jan 9, 2009 7:25 pm**

Man dont nobody care about what the blazers think or anyone else for that matter FTB!!!! straight out, we are the L.A Lakers!!!! you think if anyone could hurt us they wouldnt?? Nobody wants to trade with us/ Nobody like us/ they constantly hate on us/ The ref's got there own little bias against kobe, and the list goes on, so if your not a "True Laker fan" and understand the politics of the NBA then bounce and kick rocks!!!!!!

Posted: **Fri Jan 9, 2009 7:26 pm**

the blazers are trying to prevent people from signing him, so they don't take the hit

i'm sure there are some teams who would like to sign him but won't because they want to avoid the trouble that would ensue

Posted: **Fri Jan 9, 2009 7:43 pm**

fareweatherfan wrote:Not prevention, but perhaps tortious interference with business relationships. This could result if Miles shows that the Blazers' memo interfered with his ability to establish a business relationship (i.e. sign a contract). As I said above, it would be difficult to prove, but its a good argument.

kevin_405 wrote:Blazers are not preventing anyone from signing.. All they are saying is dont sign him just to stick it to us.. Sign him if ur intention is to improve ur team..

TonyMontana wrote:Preventing someone from working? I dont see any justice in that.

I agree, and its seems like thats where this is headed.
I can honestly say that Miles has a legal right to prusue a lawsuit against the Blazers Org. and he should.

Posted: **Fri Jan 9, 2009 7:55 pm**

yup, just watch.. I wouldn't be surprised to see another headline in the news saying Darius Miles seeks legal action against the Trailblazers for......

But the approach that Portland did was correct. They may not scare away all the teams from signing darius, but they sure did scare away a lot of them.. I'm very curious how this will pan out in the follow days, months... I wonder if his recent release was due to Portland calling the owner and threatening him .. hehe

We may not be the best fit for him.. vice versa... but some teams still need a player like him...

Posted: **Fri Jan 9, 2009 10:07 pm**

I see an epic battle heading towards the Supreme Court for this one. For one no employer or business has a right by any legal means to deny a person from working. Here's the strange twist though, because there are teams who very much want to sign Miles. David Stern works for the owners but now you have one who want's to punk the whole league denying the rest from doing so. Miles lawyers will certainly battle the Blazers to the death.

Stern is caught in a big tug of war 1 owner verses 29, and you know the Players Union has Miles back. Bottom line is this the Blazers can't deny Mile his right to play in this league, if he's healthy enough he should play. Who cares how this will impact Portland's financial situation, why should the rest of the league pay for Paul Allen's management's mistakes.

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