As Darius Miles Turns

When Darius Miles was released by the Grizzles, the Blazers tried to claim him off of waivers in order to maintain their salary cap space and avoid the luxury tax. The NBA denied this request as it was trying to circumvent salary cap rules.
Here is a good explanation of the situation the Blazers were stuck in from the Blazers Edge comment section and why the Blazers really couldn't win with Darius' injury situation and the letter of the Collective Barganing Agreement:

The underlying issue is that there is a problem with the rules – not necessarily with the Blazers nor Miles. In the first place, the Blazers retired Miles based on the recommendation of a Doctor selected by the NBA and the Players association. In sum, they could not have continued to play Miles given that doctors decision that continued playing was likely to result in a permanent disability.

This has, from the beginning, put the Blazers at a disadvantage. They could not encourage Miles to continue playing for them – given the ruling. However, Miles could continue to try to play basketball – but only if it was for some other team. He is, after all, the ultimate decider as to whether or not he wants to ignore the advice of the doctors and risk permanent injury.

So, the Blazers were left with a player that they could not play – but someone else could.

Think about how absurd this is. They had three options. None good. If they kept him on the team, paid his salary, but refused to play him – Darius would have been angry and disruptive. Darius – after all, want’s to play. Or at least try to play. So this wasn’t a good option.

Secondly, they could have tried to trade him. Now you know this was an option. Not a team in the leaque was willing to engage in any "kind" of trade for a player that had been determined by the NBA to be unable to continue playing. So this one’s a joke.

Thirdly, they could release him – as they did. In fact, this was the only option. The Blazers could not trade him, and because of the Doctors ruling, could not play him – which he wanted to do.

So now, they’re left with the results of the simple fact that if the NBA and the Players Association determines a player to be unfit to continue playing – that they don’t enforce that ruling on the player. Instead, they leave a loop hole, and leave it up to the player. And there’s the rub.

The Blazers lose no matter what they do. Miles, after all, has already publicly admitted that he no longer has the same skills, nor the leaping ability that he once had. He already has been affected by his injury. He is, in sum, damaged goods. However, the NBA and the Players Association do not want to tell Miles what is already obvious. And that should be their job.

After all, what’s the point of having a procedure to medically determine whether or not a player is medically unfit to continue playing, if you don’t enforce it on the player?