Pistons Sign Top Draft Pick Darko Milicic

First-round draft pick Darko Milicic signed a contract with the Detroit Pistons and was to be officially introduced Friday.

Detroit drafted the 7-foot, 245-pound Milicic with the second choice in June’s draft. The 18-year-old Milicic, from Serbia and Montenegro, has played professionally in Europe since he was 14.

He settled a contract buyout with his Serbian team this month.

The club, Hemofarm Vrsac, claimed it had Milicic under contract through 2009 and filed a lawsuit in New York against Cornstein. The club demanded at least $10 million in punitive damages.

The Pistons earned the top seeding in the Eastern Conference playoffs last season and lost to New Jersey in the East finals.

But Detroit desperately needs size and scoring up front alongside Ben Wallace, who became an All-Star with defense and rebounding.

The Pistons had Memphis’ lottery pick in the draft thanks to a 1997 trade for Otis Thorpe.