"I just tried to stay out of it," Miles said via telephone Saturday after signing a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies . "I don't want my name and face on the news about something bad. I just want to find a team I can call home."

Basketball, insisted Miles, his agent and Grizzlies brass, is what their most recent marriage is about.

Still, if Miles appears in two more NBA games this season, the $18 million he's owed on a contract with the Portland Trail Blazers will count against the Blazers' salary cap. The development would make the Blazers a luxury-tax payer and limit their future free-agent spending.

Despite the firestorm his situation created around the NBA for two days, Miles said he just wants to contribute to a team winning for the foreseeable future.

"I played sparingly for Memphis, but I tried to play as hard as I could," Miles said. "Hopefully I can change the game and help us win. I like Memphis a lot. I was missing Memphis after they waived me."

The Griz waived Miles Tuesday to avoid having to guarantee his contract for the rest of the season. He spent the rest of the week with relatives nearby in Mississippi.

Miles played a total of nine minutes in his two appearances with the Griz. He was active on both ends of the court as well as in good condition in seven minutes last Tuesday against Minnesota .

Despite missing his two shot attempts and going scoreless, Miles blocked two shots and grabbed a couple of rebounds. Griz brass was particularly impressed with how Miles used his length and Basketball IQ when defending Minnesota's Al Jefferson .

The Griz insist they re-signed the beefier Miles to compensate for the loss of Darko Milicic and to help spell forward Rudy Gay.

"Darius did everything asked of him in his initial stint with the Grizzlies and was well received by his teammates," Griz general manager Chris Wallace said, adding that "our young team is short on frontcourt players and can use a veteran with his attributes."

Miles was signed by the Grizzlies as a free agent on Dec. 13 after missing two seasons (2006-08) following microfracture surgery on his right knee. The 27-year-old signed a free-agent contract with the Boston Celtics on Aug. 22, 2008 and appeared in six preseason games.

It was believed that Miles had to play in 10 regular-season or postseason games in a season for the $18 million to count against the Blazers. But his six preseason appearances with the Celtics counted toward the 10. Miles then signed with Memphis, served a 10-game suspension for violating the league's drug policy and played in two regular-season games for the Grizzlies.

"Darius is healthy. He wants to play, and he wants to contribute," Miles' agent, Jeff Wechsler, said. "He's worked hard. This is not a guy who has rested. He's worked hard to get back to where he is. The (Portland situation) never mattered to us unless it affected his ability to get a job. We're focused on an 82-game season not 10 games. We appreciate that (Griz owner) Mr. Michael Heisley and Chris Wallace gave Darius an opportunity both times."

Heisley was one of many NBA owners who reacted with outrage at Portland's threat of legal action if any team signed Miles.

But Heisley said Saturday that signing Miles had more to do with Basketball than whatever factors Portland alleged in a poorly received e-mail.

"If Darius plays like he did the last game I don't know why we wouldn't use him," Heisley said. "I'm the guy making the decisions, and I'm not going to penalize a kid because of certain ramifications. I'm going to make decisions based on what's best for my team. Darius played pretty good. He may be with us the rest of the year. He may be with us for 10 days. With the situation we're in, we're hoping he can help us."

The Griz will play three home games Cleveland, Utah and Detroit during Miles' 10-day stay.

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Inside

Guard is likely gone: Ronald Tillery says expect to see Mike Conley traded soon.

Grizzlies' next game

Who: Cleveland Cavaliers

When, where: Tuesday, 7 p.m. at FedExForum

TV, radio: SportsSouth, WRBO-FM (103.5)

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