When agents Marc and Natasha Cornstein learned in February that Darko Milicic would be eligible for the June NBA draft, they immediately hopped on a plane and headed to Europe.

Milicic, then 17, was one of their clients.

Seven months later, their trip paid off. Milicic signed a contract Friday with the Pistons. The three-year deal is expected to be worth $11.6 million with an option for a fourth year that would bump the package to $16.8 million.

"This was a long process, but that's the way it is when you get involved with a player from Europe," said Joe Dumars, the Pistons' president of basketball operations. "This was quite a roller-coaster ride.

"If people are patient and give this kid time to develop, he's going to be something special."

Milicic, a 7-footer from Serbia-Montenegro, was the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. His rights belonged to a European team, Hemofarm Vrsac, but he was released from his contract after agreeing to pay a transfer fee. The Cornsteins wouldn't reveal the terms of the financial settlement, which took months to negotiate.