Milicic under contract for two more seasons

[ATLJA316]

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- The Detroit Pistons exercised their team option on Darko Milicic on Thursday, keeping the 20-year-old center under contract for the next two seasons.

Darko Milicic

Milicic

"We are pleased to have Darko Milicic signed through the 2006-07 season and we look forward to seeing his continued growth as a player," said Joe Dumars, the Pistons' president of basketball operations. "Darko was able to play a lot of minutes during summer league this July and we are happy that he is on Serbia-Montenegro's roster during the European Championships this September."

Dumars drafted Milicic with the second overall pick in the 2003 draft, behind LeBron James and ahead of players who have developed much more rapidly, including Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

The 7-foot, 245-pound Milicic has averaged 1.6 points and 1.2 rebounds in 71 games over two seasons with Detroit.

those stats just seem pitiful when you step away from the "potential" aspect so many people take on darko.

what bearing does this have on us, and the al/darko rumors?

[chillzatl]

1. they don't want him to go anywhere

2. they want to lock him up so a potential team will have something more to work with in a trade.

Now, i'm not sure what the rules are on something like that. It might be like signing a free agent and not being able to trade him for so long. Dunno.. I'm sure someone will tell us.

[DJ_Money]

It doesn't mean anything really.

A player would have to do something really, really JR Rider-level wrong to not have the option on his rookie contract picked up.

You're not going to give up on any young player, especially as cheap as they are to keep around.

I'm sure there's probably a few, but I can't recall any rookie options not being picked up off the top of my head.

[Inside_Man]

Quote:

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I can't recall any rookie options not being picked up off the top of my head.

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Ed Gray says, "Hi!"

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are you positive the Hawks will pick up Boris' option?

When is the deadline? (I think it's coming up.)

[DJ_Money]

I've attempted to push Ed Gray out of my memory, but he does prove my point.

Diaw's team option comes up next summer. Assuming he doesn't come to blows with Woodson or BK, I don't see him walking. For $1.8 million, he's worth having around. It's not like we need the cap room...