Mavericks workout Darius Miles

[MapleLeaf]

From realgm.com

Former Blazers' forward Darius Miles completed the latest audition in his attempt to get back into the NBA, this time with the Dallas Mavericks, Ian Thomsen from Sports Illustrated is reporting.

"He was much better than I thought he would be," a member of the Mavericks' camp said. "On a scale of 1 to 10, I was expecting him to be 6. But he was a good, solid 8."

While exhausted, Thomsen reports that at the end Miles jumped flat-footed and touched the top of the backboard square, showing he still has some explosion in his leap.

"I'm physically 100 percent," Miles said in his first interview since attempting a comeback unprecedented in this salary-cap era. "I'm not in [basketball] shape, but healthwise and bodywise, I'm 100 percent. I've got the explosion; I can move."

Miles is trying to become the first player to come back after the NBA ruled that his injury was "career ending".

If he were to sign a new contract and play in 10 or more games this season, his $9 million salary would go back on Portland's books.

From hoopsworld.com

The Dallas Mavericks aren't in the greatest position in the world after the Jason Kidd trade left them with the bulk of their cap space tied up in four players. Basically it's out the Mavs in the position of being bargain basement shoppers as they seek to fill their final two roster spots. It's so bad that Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson told HOOPSWORLD on Thursday that it's possible they fill their last two roster spots with players from their summer league team.

This isn't like last season for Dallas, when they had Brandon Bass taking the summer league by storm and demanding a roster spot with his play. This year's summer squad has been rough, with roster-hopeful James Singleton falling radically short of expectations after the first game and everyone else looking like European hopefuls. Gerald Green finally found his groove, but he's already guaranteed for two years, so he doesn't really count. We know he'll be on the team.

One scenario that could save the Mavs from their own short-sightedness (or overconfidence in the Kidd trade, whichever you prefer) would be something like what's playing out with Darius Miles. Miles came to Vegas for a private workout with the Mavericks at Impact Basketball and the word is he looked good. The best part for Dallas is that if he is actually successful in his quest to return to the NBA the bulk of his salary will get picked up by the Portland Trail Blazers. It's not much to hang your hopes on, but it could turn out to be a boon for the cash-poor Mavs.

In a related issue, you have to wonder if Mark Cuban will eventually cave and send Josh Howard to the Kings for Ron Artest. It would be consistent with what we've seen over the last six months from Dallas, where the future is being mortgaged for the present at an alarming rate. They'll regret the loss Devin Harris of Devin Harris for years, and Josh might turn out to be the same kind of sacrifice.

 

[dez]

I would like to see him make a comeback, he always had all the tools (minus a reliable jumper) to become a very good scorer, hopefully it works out.

 

[jarrod2323]

wut is up with the Dallas market and wanting all these thugs? LOL

 

[NjNets15]

Why does this not mention that he was also worked out by the Nets, Suns and Celtics?

 

[MapleLeaf]

Because we're in talks with him

 

[MapleLeaf]

wut is up with the Dallas market and wanting all these thugs? LOL

Well you saw us the last couple of years. Basically in the Warriors series we were out-thugged and plus Miles brings all the athletic ability.

I so want this down.

C- Diop
PF- Bass
SF- D-Miles
SG- Green
PG- Barea

AS OUR BENCH