Darko Milicic arrived here Monday and will spend the next month in an apartment in midtown Manhattan, where his agent Marc Cornstein is based. After the June 26 draft, the Yugoslavian 7-foot center may be looking for his new palace in Auburn Hills.
The Pistons are leaning toward taking Milicic with the second overall pick, Cornstein believes. Carmelo Anthony is the only other candidate being considered.
Pistons prez Joe Dumars worked Milicic out at John Jay College for 45 minutes Thursday before he struck gold in the lottery, saying afterward, “He’s all he’s cracked up to be.”
“He just might be the final piece to the puzzle,” Cornstein told The Post. “If the draft was today, they’d be leaning toward Darko, but it’s still five weeks away. Ironically, Detroit and Denver [third pick] scouted him the most.”
As their Net debacle has shown, the Pistons need a big man who can score alongside Ben Wallace. Milicic, who turns 18 on June 20, is an post and 3-point threat and enjoys comparisons to Kevin Garnett.
Milicic is staying in New York to learn U.S. culture and improve his English. “Going from Vrsac to midtown Manhattan has been overwhelming,” Cornstein said.