"If Darius Miles plays 10 games with another NBA club next season, and it says here that he will, it will be a blow to the Trail Blazers' salary-cap picture for the future. But not a crippling one.

Released by Portland in April after an independent medical examiner ruled his microfracture-repaired knee was "career-ending," the small forward has had a tryout tour in recent weeks with several NBA clubs. Indications are he'll get an opportunity.

"Darius' talent is there, and his health is better than we were led to believe," Boston General Manager Danny Ainge said after Miles auditioned for him a couple of weeks ago.

A Dallas Mavericks representative told Sports Illustrated's Ian Thomsen, "He was much better than I thought he would be. On a scale of 1 to 10, I was expecting him to be a 6. But he was a good, solid 8."

What does a team have to lose? Miles already has $18 million in the bank for the next two years from Portland. All he'll require is a minimum-salary contract. And he won't turn 27 until October.

Miles has had his deportment issues over the years, and there was no question Blazer management and coaches didn't want him around its collection of younger players. But I tend to agree with what an assistant coach who has worked with the enigmatic forward in the past told Thomsen: "I wouldn't label him a bad guy. I've wondered if he loves to play. ... but I don't think of him as a cancer-type person in the locker room. I don't think he has the personality to have that kind of impact on his teammates."

If a team so desired, it could sign Miles and play him just to stick it to the Blazers. If he gets in 10 or more games over the next two seasons, his $9 million per year would go back on Portland's cap. If he were to reach that mark next season, it would go onto the Blazers' books after the season and count for the 2009-10 season, GM Kevin Pritchard says."