We have an extra roster spot," Clippers Coach and General Manager Mike Dunleavy said Wednesday. "He is starting to work out for teams. And so, we're just looking into the situation."
Based on what they have seen and what they need, the woefully lacking-in-depth Clippers would jump at signing the 6-foot-9 free agent Miles, who was close to making the Celtics in training camp. The thought is that Boston wanted to keep Miles, 27, but a roster spot simply wasn't available.
Still, with Miles, there are issues.
Miles, who was the third overall pick by the Clippers in the 2000 draft, had micro-fracture surgery to fix his right knee in November 2006. Miles has not played in a regular-season game since then. He also had a well-known confrontation with then-coach Maurice Cheeks in Portland in the 2004-05 season.
Another likely point of contention for the Clippers, and for any NBA team wanting to sign Miles, would be his automatic 10-game suspension for having violated the league's substance abuse policy.
But the possibility of what Miles could do for the Clippers after being out of the NBA for just more than two years intrigued them enough to bring him in for a workout.
The Trail Blazers have to be squirming a bit with Miles working out for teams again. It has been reported that Miles' $9-million salary for this season goes back on Portland's books if he signs a deal and plays in 10 or more NBA games.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-cli ... 6810.story
