Do we want UFA Darko?

[Fabbs]

If the Orlando t.v. station is correct and he is now UFA due to signing of Rashard Lewis.

Darko >>> Elson? I love Elsons athletecism and full court speed but it's questionable if his basketball i.q. will rise by the 2008 playoffs at the latest.

[Big P]

His agent wants $10 mil per, I dont think he will get that, but either way we dont have the money for him & I would rather get Nocioni or Pietrus than another big man.

[Darkwaters]

Nocioni please...

[SsKSpurs21]

if larry brown didnt play him, i doubt pop will as well. then again that is what was said about jackie butler...

i would rather go for nocioni as well.

[Fabbs]

His agent wants $10 mil per, I dont think he will get that, but either way we dont have the money for him & I would rather get Nocioni or Pietrus than another big man. No way at 10 mil. 5 and a chance for a title altho we've established NBA millionaires do not go that way.

[T Park]

Darko is gonna want dinero. hes got a ring.

[Solid D]

The kid just turned 22 years of age. He's listed at 7'0" 275 lbs, so he has finally filled-out and is a true Center and post player. Unfortunately, he's still not getting 30 mpg. He averaged 12.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1 bpg, in 28.8 mpg in the 4 playoff games this year. That's not $10M per year worthy.

[JamStone]

The kid just turned 22 years of age. He's listed at 7'0" 275 lbs, so he has finally filled-out and is a true Center and post player. Unfortunately, he's still not getting 30 mpg. He averaged 12.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1 bpg, in 28.8 mpg in the 4 playoff games this year. That's not $10M per year worthy.


The season before Nene got his 6 year, $60 million contract, he averaged 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg, 0.0 bpg in 3.0 mpg.

[Solid D]

The season before Nene got his 6 year, $60 million contract, he averaged 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg, 0.0 bpg in 0.0 mpg.

:lol Good one.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

The season before Nene got his 6 year, $60 million contract, he averaged 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg, 0.0 bpg in 3.0 mpg.

:lol Good point.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I'd take him for a deal starting at the MLE, but nothing more.

[Fabbs]

Darko is gonna want dinero. hes got a ring.
yeah, playing 8 out of 23 games and 1.8 minutes per in those 8 games might have satisfyed him.

[ShoogarBear]

We don't need both Darko and Splitter.

[T Park]

yeah, playing 8 out of 23 games and 1.8 minutes per in those 8 games might have satisfyed him

for a guy that hasn't cashed in yet? Yeah it did.

[Solid D]

http://www.nba.com/media/act_darko_mlicic.jpg

Darko. Has there ever been a more mis-named player in the NBA?

[ShoogarBear]

James White!

[Solid D]

True.

[Fabbs]

James White!
Yeah wonder if he's gonna get his chance.

Will Nocioni cut food coupons, drive less then 5 cars and scrimp and save and subside on less then 10 million a year in exchange for playing more then 1.7 minutes a game for a title shot?

[Steve-O-Matic]

ESPN Insider scouting report on Darko prior to this season....

-----------------------------
2005-06 season: The Pistons swore they'd find minutes for Darko now that Larry Brown was gone ... only they didn't. Milicic played only 140 minutes for Detroit, mostly in garbage time, so Detroit dealt him to Orlando at midseason. He made the most of his opportunity in Orlando, shooting 50.8 percent from the floor and posting the league's fourth-best rate of blocked shots. He also cut his enormous foul rate in Detroit to something more reasonable, enabling him to stay on the floor for longer stretches.

Offensively, Milicic had a very poor free-throw rate for a center and shot just 59.5 percent from the line, factors that gave him an unexceptional TS% despite a high shooting percentage. However, he was able to create offense from the high post. Milicic's usage rate and assist ratio were both well above the norm for centers, showing he can be a good high-post partner for Dwight Howard. His rebounding needs work, though, as he ranked 58th among the league's 67 centers. But in sum, it was an encouraging performance -- he's much less of a bust than previously thought, and could end up being a star.

Scouting report: Scouts have always raved about Milicic's skills, starting with the fact that he's a solid 7-0, 250, with a variety of skills. Milicic can float in jumpers from mid-range or take his man on the block and shoot a lefty hook shot. He has to improve from the line (60.2 percent for his career) and get tougher around the basket -- there's no reason a 7-footer with his skills should rebound so poorly.

Milicic is an outstanding shot-blocker with great timing and instincts, with his lefthandedness being an advantage since he's lined up with most players' shooting hand. He looked out of shape when he first came to Orlando, perhaps because he'd hardly played in three seasons, and was usually the last man down the floor. There also are whispers that he doesn't always play hard. However, his defensive numbers after joining the Magic were outstanding, with Orlando giving up 8.0 points per 100 minutes fewer with him on the court and opposing centers mustering only an 11.5 PER against him.
2006-07 outlook: It's easy to forget how young Milicic still is -- he didn't turn 21 until June. Because of that, he still has a great deal of growth ahead of him. If you take what he did in Orlando to be his true level of ability then he has quite a future ahead of him. The projections forecast him taking a giant step forward this coming season, and if that happens, the combo of Milicic and Howard will terrorize the East for the next decade. His development is doubly important because if Orlando has a strong season, it will reduce the value of the first-round pick they owe the Pistons for acquiring Milicic last season.


Most similar at age: Kevin Garnett

[Solid D]

NBA.com says Darko was born June 20, 1985 so that would make him 22 if the birthdate is correct. He doesn't deserve star money but he does alter and block shots well.

[jag]

I wish larry brown didnt fuck him for the first couple seasons. Whenever he did play he looked like garbage, that kind of reminds me of someone...

Beno?

[Johnny RIngo]

Good player but too expensive.

[timvp]

Darko has no passion for basketball. He's like Hakeem Olajuown with the will to improve of Beno Udrih.

[T Park]

Beno and Millicic could be studs in the NBA if they only gave a shit.

Great post.

[Bruno]

Darko seems to be a money first player.
He should be able to get more than a MLE contract. Teams under the cap like Memphis and Charlotte should be his destination. Chicago can too go under the cap to get him and Golden State has a big trade exception to get him.

If he can't get a big contract from these teams, he still can sign an one year contract to a team where he will have a lot of playtime and sign his big contract next summer.

[Bruno]

And Milicic isn't an unrestricted free agent.
He is still restricted and Orlando can easily find a way to re-sign Darko and to sign Lewis.

[Big P]

The paper said that Orlando will have to renounce Darko's rights, making him a unrestricted FA, in order to offer Lewis a $15 mil per year contract, so he will be unrestricted.

[exstatic]

And Milicic isn't an unrestricted free agent.
He is still restricted and Orlando can easily find a way to re-sign Darko and to sign Lewis.
If they needed the money from his qualifying offer for Rashard and withdrew it, then he would be unrestricted.

Funny scenario: Seattle matches, and someone gets Darko on the cheap.

[exstatic]

How stupid is Orlando? $15M for Rashard Lewis?

[Bruno]

The paper said that Orlando will have to renounce Darko's rights, making him a unrestricted FA, in order to offer Lewis a $15 mil per year contract, so he will be unrestricted.

For the moment, he is still restricted : Orlando has made a QO on him. Lewis will sign with them on July 11th. Magic have 8 days to find a way to create enough cap space if they want to keep Darko .



Funny scenario: Seattle matches, and someone gets Darko on the cheap.

Seattle can't match, Lewis is an unrestricted free agent.

[AFBlue]

So they'll be looking to unload salary in the next few days or work a sign-and-trade with Seattle for Lewis.

My guess is that they try to unload a guy like Turkoglu or Arroyo.

[AFBlue]

As for Darko....too much money, too much unfulfilled talent, not enough roster space, and not enough playing time.

Seems like a more athletic Rasho, but more $$$...no thanks.

[Kamnik]

Beno and Millicic could be studs in the NBA if they only gave a shit.

Great post.

true

Beno went from being my favourite Slovene player out there to the extent where i would just like to see him leave NBA and stop wasting a roster spot

[MrChug]

I have always said it would SHOCK people how effective Darko would be on a team like this. I'd be elated, but probably more elated with Noc'.

[pad300]

I have always said it would SHOCK people how effective Darko would be on a team like this. I'd be elated, but probably more elated with Noc'.

S&T Darko (at $8.5 Million/year, 5 years) for Barry (5.5 Million) & Elson ( 3 Million)
Or
Darko ($8 Million/year, 5 years) for Beno (1.75 Million), Elson (3 Million), Butler (2.35 million)

Don't think that Orlando would go for it. Maybe the 1st offer, if we threw in an 08 first (or maybe Scola's rights).

[Solid D]

Isn't Orlando clearing salary overhead to make room for Rashard? Why would they want to add players and extra salaries on top of the $15M for Rashard? They might as well keep Darko if they are willing to spend that much extra.

[pad300]

Isn't Orlando clearing salary overhead to make room for Rashard? Why would they want to add players and extra salaries on top of the $15M for Rashard? They might as well keep Darko if they are willing to spend that much extra.

I'm not sure if Orlando is clearing cap space for this year (just to sign Rashard), or if they need to clear cap space next year to re-sign Howard. If it is for next year, Barry and Elson are both expiring deals, which would clear space to re-sign Howard, while giving them reasonable players for the 07/08 season...

[MoSpur]

I don't think there is a roster spot for Darko unless the Spurs trade someone or some players.

[Steve-O-Matic]

S&T Darko (at $8.5 Million/year, 5 years) for Barry (5.5 Million) & Elson ( 3 Million)
Or
Darko ($8 Million/year, 5 years) for Beno (1.75 Million), Elson (3 Million), Butler (2.35 million)

Don't think that Orlando would go for it. Maybe the 1st offer, if we threw in an 08 first (or maybe Scola's rights).

The reason the Magic would be renouncing Darko is becuase they have no money left to keep him. Why would they S&T him for a collection of contracts that would eqaul what it would cost to just keep him??

[Marcus Bryant]

Orlando renounced Milicic so they would have the cap room to sign Lewis.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Milicic's agent: Darko won't play for Magic as long as Smith is GM

Brian Schmitz | Sentinel Staff Writer
6:49 PM EDT, July 3, 2007

Power forward Darko Milicic never will play for the Orlando Magic this season or any other "as long as Otis Smith is general manager," an irate Marc Cornstein, told the Sentinel.

Late Tuesday, shortly after the Magic withdrew their qualifying offer to Milicic -- whom Smith had said was a priority before the free-agent courting period began -- Cornstein blasted Smith for being a "liar." He called Smith's handling of his client "deceitful, disrespectful and a disgrace."

Cornstein said Smith had indicated that the Magic wanted to re-sign Milicic, but then sent an e-mail to him Tuesday telling him they had withdrawn their qualifying offer and made him an unresticted free agent.

Cornstein said there's no chance.

"There's no chance. Put it in big capital letters," Cornstein said. "You can say that as long as Otis Smith is the general manager of the Orlando Magic, there's no chance."

Cornstein said that when the Magic did not contact him when the free-agency courting period began, "He didn't want to be here in the end. If Otis Smith had been a decent human and told us that Rashard Lewis was the player they wanted and would have to sacrifice Darko to get him, my reaction wouldn't have been happiness. But I would have said, 'I appreciate you telling me.'

"Instead, the guy told us Darko was a priority, and he lied."

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/basketball/magic/orl-bk-milicic0307jul03,0,5552415.story

[Spurs Dynasty 21]

sign him then trade Scola's rights for Noc



that was be a incredible move, but I know the SPurs won't pay Darko the money he's looking for

[Steve-O-Matic]

sign him then trade Scola's rights for Noc
Zero chance of that combination of moves happening. That would put the Spurs so far north of the Luxury Tax line that they'd need a trail of breadcrumbs to find their way back.

[Gros Membres!]

Some interesting nuggests in here...

Milicic now unrestricted free agent after Magic withdraws offer

By Chad Ford
ESPN.com
(Archive)
Updated: July 3, 2007, 8:29 PM ET
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One day after coming to a verbal agreement with free agent Rashard Lewis, the Orlando Magic withdrew their qualifying offer for restricted free agent Darko Milicic on Tuesday.


Milicic
In effect, the move means the Magic have renounced their rights to Milicic and he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Milicic's agent Marc Cornstein said the move took him by surprise. He said Magic GM Otis Smith called him earlier in the day to tell him the team wanted to keep Milicic and would begin exploring ways to make it happen.

"I think it is unfortunate how dishonest and deceitful Otis Smith and the Orlando Magic have been in the process," Cornstein said. "However, I think it can be a good thing for Darko. I believe Darko is the most coveted free agent in the market now. We are excited to get a fresh start with a team that truly believes in him."

Said Smith of the Magic's decision: "Our goals remains the same: to sign a free agent and try to retain Darko. It hasn't changed."

Now, any team in the league can sign Milicic without fear of the Magic matching an offer. Only three teams, the Bobcats, Grizzlies and Bucks, have the cap room available to offer more than the mid-level exception. A fourth team, the Chicago Bulls, might be able to clear enough room if they were to renounce their rights to free agent Andres Nocioni.

If neither Charlotte or Memphis are interested, Milicic will likely have to sign a one- or two-year deal for the mid-level exception and re-enter the free-agent market next summer to look for a bigger deal.

Milicic was looking for a long-term deal averaging between $9 and $10 million a year, according to league sources.

Cornstein said that the Magic actually came very close to signing Milicic to an extension this fall, but unexpectedly withdrew their offer at the last minute.

"There has been a pattern of deception here," Cornstein said. "It started with Otis making an offer and the pulling it. He told us in private Darko was his No. 1 priority this offseason."

The move puzzled a number of general managers, one of whom wondered why the Magic didn't at least attempt to get something of value for Milicic.

"They gave up a No. 1 pick for him and he has enormous trade value," he said. "A number of teams would've talked with them about sign-and-trades, including us. But Otis didn't return calls and we never heard from him. It makes no sense."

If Milicic does decide to sign a mid-level deal, expect the teams like Philadelphia and San Antonio that will have signficant cap room to re-sign him in the summer of 2008.

Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.

[ploto]

2003 plan= Rasho
2008 plan= Darko

This place will explode!

:rollin :rollin :rollin

[Spurs Dynasty 21]

in our dreams




Darko/Duncan= Twin Towers 2.0

[ShoogarBear]

Darko > Rasho.

But not for 9.5 mil.

[baseline bum]

In my nightmares....

Duncan/Darko = Duncan/SamakiWanker 2.0

[SenorSpur]

How stupid is Orlando? $15M for Rashard Lewis?

Not to derail the thread, but $15m for Lewis was excessive. This kid is not a superstar-type layer, but based on the level on interest throughout the league, him getting a salary in that neighborhood was a cinch.

Back to Darko, I think he's overrated - especially for the price tag his agent is looking for.

[SlovenianGuy]

On the Magic board they are saying that this might be a very smart move by Otis.
They still own his Bird rights, which means that they are now one of only four teams that can offer him more than MLE. So basically this means that they cleared enough cap space to sign Lewis, but later they will be able to resign Darko and go over the cap.

[Condemned 2 HelLA]

not for 9.5 mil.

[Streakyshooter08]

The thing I would like the most about Milicic, that the Spurs would have a shootblocker next to Duncan in there. He would be a great fit next to TD I think. He is talented and very young. You could bring Oberto off the bench. I guess it won't happen though.

[Vito Corleone]

I like to let people succeed or fail on thier own merriots not on the past performance of others that look like them.

The only reason people compare him to rasho is the color of his skin. I need a little more than this before I pass that harsh a judgement.

Offer him a 1 year contract worth the entire mid-level exemption would be well worth the effort, if he is another Rasho then we jettison him without losing a thing, but if he does develop into an effective player then we get the steal of the year.

A risk but a limited one.

BTW a deal for him would not change anything for Noc, unless the Bulls were looking to cut Noc to sign Darko.