Memphis, Tennessee, July 9, 2009 – The Grizzlies have renounced their rights to free agents Chris Mihm, Darius Miles and Mike Wilks, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.
Mihm, a 7-0, 265-pound center, averaged 2.0 points and 1.9 rebounds in 5.8 minutes in 18 games last season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Acquired by the Grizzlies along with cash considerations on Feb. 18 in exchange for a 2013 protected second round draft pick, Mihm did not appear in a game with Memphis and underwent successful right ankle surgery on March 3, ending his season. The eight-year NBA veteran holds career averages of 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in 436 games (256 starts) with the Lakers, the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Miles, a 6-9, 235-pound forward, averaged 3.5 points and 1.7 rebounds in 8.8 minutes in 34 games last season with Memphis, who originally signed him as a free agent on Dec. 13, 2008. The seven-year NBA veteran owns career averages of 10.1 points and 4.9 rebounds in 446 games (190 starts) with the Grizzlies, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Wilks, a 5-10, 180-pound guard, was acquired by the Grizzlies on Feb. 19 from the Orlando Magic along with Orlando’s 2009 first round draft pick (DeMarre Carroll, 27th overall), Adonal Foyle and cash considerations as a part of a three-team trade (also including the Houston Rockets) that sent Kyle Lowry and Brian Cook to Houston and Rafer Alston to Orlando.
After signing with the Magic as a free agent on Sept. 25, 2008, Wilks tore his ACL in his right knee in a preseason game on Oct. 16, 2008 and missed the entire regular season. The seven-year NBA veteran holds career averages of 2.5 points and 1.2 assists in 229 games (11 starts) with the Atlanta Hawks, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Rockets, the San Antonio Spurs, the Cavaliers, the Seattle SuperSonics (twice), the Denver Nuggets and the Washington Wizards.
Per the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, a renounced player no longer counts toward team salary, so teams use renouncement to gain additional cap room. After renouncing a player, the team is still permitted to re-sign such player, but the team must either have enough salary cap room to fit the salary, or sign the player using the Minimum Salary exception. After renouncing a player, a team can still trade the player in a sign-and-trade agreement.