Darko Milicic Signs With Memphis

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Free-agent center Darko Milicic agreed in principle to a three-year contract with the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, the player's agent Marc Cornstein told ESPN.com Insider Chad Ford.

Cornstein refused to disclose the amount of the deal, but the starting salary is believed to be for substantially more than the $5.3 million mid-level exception.

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Darko is barely worth the MLE on it's own, I don't know how he is worth a penny more. He's not a great player at all, yet he's worth money like this? He is a bust. Sure he's young, but he hasn't proven anything at all yet. I say he'll put up about 13/8 with a couple blocks in his best season. I mean, he's coming off his best season where he put up 8/5/1. He's 22 years old, it's time to start showing something, which he hasn't done yet - what makes people think he's going to do much in the future?

Darko = A 7 footer who will block shots, grab 7-8 boards and shoot a bad percentage. Role player. Not a great one at that, either.

[Gundy]

My first memory of Darko was people calling him the white Garnett. That is so fucking funny. I agree with Shannon. I really doubt he'll ever be able to be a big part of a team.

[maes]

Basically reiterating what i said in the "Is Dwight worth this much" thread, it's a free market and NBA 7 footers are incredibly rare products.

Adonal Foyle, Troy Murphy, Rasho Nestorovic, Sam Delambert, Tyson Chandler...these guys all make closer to $10M than $5M.

It doesn't matter if 96% of the NBA thinks Darko isn't worth that, all it takes is one team to think he's can be worth that kind of money.

[BigKaboom2]

I don't think he's a bust - he just got drafted onto a championship-ready team that didn't need him, which rarely happens. It was terrible luck for him that he had no opportunity to improve in Detroit.

[Donatello]

I am in the 'not a bust (yet)' crowd. If you look at the ridiculous amount players like Adonal Foyle, Brian Cardinal, etc are making, it's really not all that ludicrous in comparison.

It's gambling on potential, but it's a hell of a lot of potential.

[Silas]

I still believe has the ability to become a solid contributer, obviously not the star people predicted though. What maes said is very true, valuable bigs who've contributed for a few years in the NBA, especially ones with potential, are rare and teams are willing to shell out big money for them.

The only solid contributer I know of that has settled for a reasonable salary is Joel Pryzbilla. I'm sure if he'd decided to just pick up a one year option and would be a free agent this season, he could draw 8 million per season quite easily. Obviously there are guys like Alonzo Mourning who take tiny salaries to play on their championship team, but those guys aren't really factored into the equation.

[cheater1034]

YES, good news for cleveland, memphis was after anderson varejao, now they aren't.

But the grizz werent just interested in varejao, they were about to pay him 7-8 million a year which is ridiculous for a guy with the amount of offensive lack of talent varejao has.

Varejao is worth the MLE at best, darko is worth a lil' more IMO, I wouldnt be surprised if the grizz offered him close to 10 mil a year.

[benji]

Reports say only slightly above $6 million to start...

Memphis is going to be that team everyone thinks will be terrible because of strange circumstances the year before, then suddenly wins 45 games and everyone gushes all over the coach and "new" stars.

And I'm not saying that simply because they've roped in the greatest lottery pick of the last five years. (Drafted by Pistons, they win the title in his rookie season. FACT. Darko: one ring/two NBA Finals, Melo+LeBron+Wade+Bosh: one ring/two NBA Finals. FACT.)

Seriously, look at that roster. It's so deep, if Gasol stays healthy, Conley is as good as hyped, they figure out the rotation, and Darko stops being bored of being a demi-god and unleashes his Olympian powers on the league, they double their win total, right? Right?

[Anthony15]

Damn, more than 5.3...I wouldn't give this bust more than 2 mil.

[NovU]

darko... too soft for a big man
terrible footwok and under average power
he's young but he will never be a great player
it's almost safe to label him a bust for #2 overall

edit: grizz just can't seem to attract decent players... varejao would have been nice. but cavs knows he plays well wid lbj. oh well... griz already failed in nocioni, fisher, & varejao...

[benji]

nocioni, fisher, & varejao...

Who are all in the same tier of player as Darko...

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Memphis is going to be that team everyone thinks will be terrible because of strange circumstances the year before, then suddenly wins 45 games and everyone gushes all over the coach and "new" stars.

That's exactly what I said, this team tanked it after the Pau injury. They won basically 50 games the season before, and didn't lose all that much (Battier, Posey, etc), especially since they replaced those guys with players like Mike Conley, Rudy Gay and Kyle Lowry.

I don't think he's a bust - he just got drafted onto a championship-ready team that didn't need him, which rarely happens. It was terrible luck for him that he had no opportunity to improve in Detroit.

How is the number 2 pick in a loaded draft not a bust, when he has got himself a new team (Orlando), playing beside a guy like Dwight Howard and still doing nothing? He shoots a lower field goal percentage than guys like Joe Johnson, Monta Ellis, Ricky Davis, DeShawn Stevenson, Andre Miller and Matt Harpring - Thing is, he's within 7 feet of the basket at all times and defences are obviously worried about Dwight down there which takes pressure off of him.

He's 22 and 7 foot. That's all he has going for him. Potential means nothing till it turns to actual skill.

Zaza Pachulia is just one year older and an inch shorter, and put up 12/7/2 with no one to take pressure on him down low. When's his big payday coming?

The kid is garbage.

[Gundy]

I say give him one more season before you can determine if he is an absolute bust or not.

[Axel]

Disagree wholeheartedly.

Give him time to develop. He's younger than people who were drafted this year! Darko showed the potential of being a good shot blocker. I can't think of anyone else who he reminds me of... so it's hard to say who he could end up being like. Regardless, I think he has decent potential. Unfortunately he still won't get a ton of playing time in Memphis with the likes of Pau, Hak, and Stro.

He didn't flourish in Orlando. That's not a surprise imo. They didn't have any shooters to open up the floor for their bigs, which is why it was often a struggle for DH to score.

[el badman]

Agree with Axel here, I really don't think Milicic is garbage at all. He's certainly not lived up to the initial hype for various reasons, and this past season should have been the one that reveals his talents in a team like Orlando, but as it's been said the lack of firepower there didn't really help him at the post.

Still, he's shown how he can contribute defensively, and I'm pretty sure we'll see him attack the rim and play the post with more confidence next season...

[NovU]

nocioni, fisher, & varejao...

Who are all in the same tier of player as Darko...

Varejao is worth the MLE at best, darko is worth a lil' more

u 2 must think potential to be star player is the most important asset the team wants. that i can't agree.

How is the number 2 pick in a loaded draft not a bust

pretty much sums it all

[cyanide]

I'm waiting for Fenix to post here. This is probably great news for him!

[cheater1034]

Agree with Axel here, I really don't think Milicic is garbage at all. He's certainly not lived up to the initial hype for various reasons, and this past season should have been the one that reveals his talents in a team like Orlando, but as it's been said the lack of firepower there didn't really help him at the post.

Still, he's shown how he can contribute defensively, and I'm pretty sure we'll see him attack the rim and play the post with more confidence next season...

I agree, just because he's a bust in the best draft of all time, that's over, you can't compare him on the same level as those other guys in the draft, compare him to average players, he might be pretty decent.
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The grizz can't attract players, but they have all the money in the world to work with compared to other teams.

The talks with the grizz were they were going to offer 7 mil to varejao, after they couldnt get nocioni, I guess they pursued darko for I'd assume the same price.

Now the cavs will get varejao and sasha re-signed, varejao at the MLE probably, and maybe they can get sasha for 4 mil a year, surprisingly teams aren't interested in sasha at all.

Sasha is an amazing young talent that needs to improve defense, he has a killer jump shot and can attack the rim like a mad man. Varejao is young and has potential, but potential isn't worth that much money.

[Silas]

Most players who are picked number two are expected to excel...

The players picked number two in the last ten years:

1997-Keith Van Horn
1998-Mike Bibby
1999-Steve Francis
2000-Stromile Swift
2001-Tyson Chandler
2002-Jay Williams
2003-Darko Milicic
2004-Emeka Okafor
2005-Marvin Williams
2006-LaMarcus Aldridge
2007-Kevin Durant

Aside from Jay Williams, all were more productive by the time their 4th season was complete, and Jay Williams had a much better rookie showing than Darko, and probably would have been better at this point in his career if he hadn't been injured. Aldridge and Williams have already been more productive than Darko despite only being in the league for 1 and 2 years respectively.

At this point in his career, aside from the injured Jay Williams (who was more tragedy than bust) he's the least productive 2nd pick of the last ten years.

[JT_55]

Oh no. Another overpriced player. What has the world come to?

Darko is not good. But everyone just makes a big fuss over him because they always compare him Bosh, Melo, and Wade. If he was picked second in a sucky draft, no one would pay any attention to him. Cut him some slack.

Memphis is just gambling. But in my opinion, I'd gamble on anyone but Darko.

[Jing]

3 years for 5.3 Million... He'll probably get a little bit better each time, so he's worth the money.

[BiGrEd819]

and all of u guys are professional nba scouts. its his atheletic potential that many nba teams would be willing to invest in. its not a matter of him not being worth 6 million. Just like JT 55 said, memphis is gambing. but if every team was afraid of spending away 6 million on potential, guys like jermaine o'neal and chandler would have never developed. now that would be a very boring a league follow. i even remember him becoming a superstar in one of my dynasties in live 04

[JT_55]

3 years for 5.3 Million... He'll probably get a little bit better each time, so he's worth the money.

It's way more than 5.3 million:

Cornstein refused to disclose the amount of the deal, but the starting salary is believed to be for substantially more than the $5.3 million mid-level exception.

[Jing]

Yea I was just watching SC, and they were saying 3 years for $21 million.. I guess that is a bit excessive.

[Dan's Brain]

Iavaroni will probably be a good coach for him, too. But Milicic is going to need to get real good, real quick.