No team submitted a bid for Darko Milicic when the Timberwolves placed him on amnesty waivers, but the former second overall pick is drawing interest now that he's a free agent. According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter), the Heat, Clippers, Bulls, and Nets are the frontrunners to sign Milicic.
We heard yesterday that the Nets and Clippers are targeting backup centers, so their interest comes as no surprise. The Heat are also in the market for a big man, after adding a pair of shooters, Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, in free agency. The most interesting team of the four is the Bulls — K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune wonders (via Twitter) if Chicago's interest in Darko is a hint that the team might let Omer Asik go to Houston.
While Milicic certainly hasn't had the sort of career that the other top-five picks in 2003 have, the 27-year-old is one of the more attractive centers left among this summer's unrestricted free agents. Nazr Mohammed, Ben Wallace, and Ryan Hollins are a few of the other available options.
With the T-Wolves still paying him for the next two years, Milicic is a good bet to sign a minimum-salary deal this summer.