Couple of things on I saw on this
Apparently Memphis saw something in Miles that led them to believe he can still play.
At this point though, any time away from the court only hampers Miles' effectiveness.
"He wasn't as in as good of shape as he was in the pre-season. It's hard to do by yourself when you've been out that long," Dunleavy continued.
"When you work a guy out you can't work him out five on five, so it's hard to make that determination. Obviously anyone who brings him on, he's going to be in practice with you for about a month before you have to make that decision."
Dunleavy was quick to admit that Miles was "interesting" and that "somebody will pick him up." Now that the latter has come to fruition, Miles is out to prove any naysayers wrong. He isn't about to hang it up. This much we know. But that's just one side of the story. The other side involves his personal history and choices away from the floor where Miles' character is always in question. He earned that stigma from his time in Portland.
and this from blazeredge
Darius Miles
As mentioned in the sidebar by Over Analysis, according to Ronald Tillery, the go-to source for Grizz information, the Memphis Grizzlies have signed Darius Miles. Here's quotes from two news stories....
Free agent forward Darius Miles arrived in Memphis early Saturday morning and signed a nonguaranteed contract with the Grizzlies following a physical examination.
Miles, 27, hasn't played organized basketball since being cut by the Boston Celtics after training camp. He recently worked out for the Los Angeles Clippers and recalls Charlotte and Chicago showing interest.
But Memphis was the only team ready to sign Miles immediately.
The Griz view Miles as a low-risk proposition at both forward positions, banking on the 6-9 forward overcoming a serious knee injury and jump-starting his once promising career.
In the Grizzlies, Miles said he sees opportunity knocking.
"I'm hungry. Anybody in the position I'm in, and has been through what I've been through the past two years, if he's not hungry he shouldn't waste anybody's time," Miles said. "I'm hungry. I ain't quitting. I feel like I can still do this. I wouldn't even waste the Grizzlies' time if I felt like my career was over."
Miles won't be eligible to play for the Griz until Jan. 4. He must serve a 10-game suspension for violating the league's anti-drug policy by testing positive for a banned weight-loss stimulant.
He can attend practices but cannot be in the arena two hours before the tip-off of games. The Griz visited with Miles in Chicago where he's worked out since leaving Boston.
The Grizzlies' gamble will last until Jan. 7 when they must decide whether to guarantee Miles for the rest of the season. He can appear in two games before then.
Don't skip over that last paragraph!
What's most interesting about this news is the importance of the 10 game suspension and its timing. Because Darius must sit out 10 games, he can't start playing until January 4, just 3 days before the Grizzlies will have to decide whether to guarantee his contract through the end of the season.
That means his ability to play in 10 games requires that contract extension. In other words, today's signing does not change the Blazers cap situation, at least not yet. If January 7 comes and he doesn't get his deal, the Blazers' cap situation will remain as is. If he does sign the guarantee, the team's worst Darius fears could be confirmed if he plays in 10 games.
The timing here couldn't be more interesting in light of the months of trade rumors between the two teams and because Memphis has been active in recent years before the trade deadline. If you want to speculate that this signing is another chip in trade negotations between the two teams, I won't stop you.
In any case, hang tight until January 7 -- that's the new D Day for Darius.
For Darius this must be both a blessing and a curse. Against huge odds, he got himself a deal. But it's not guaranteed so that means another month of limbo.
UPDATE (5:11PM): Asked for comment about the signing this afternoon, Kevin Pritchard replied, as you might have guessed, "You know I can't comment on any other teams players."
We'll see. If he makes in Memphis and he goes back on our cap then that means that have him on the cap for next year, so we have less cap space. If that looks probable, then expect Portland to look harder at trading the infamous "Raef LaFrentz Expiring Contract" (RLEC) before the trade deadline for a player they really like, as opposed to waiting until the summer to sign a FA.
