Milicic Settles Dispute, Can Sign With Pistons

Darko Milicic settled a compensation dispute with his Serbian team and is free to sign with the Detroit Pistons.

Milicic, the second overall pick in the NBA draft, will compensate his European team in six annual installments, Piston President Joe Dumars said Tuesday.

No other details of Milicic’s financial settlement with Hemofarm Vrsac were revealed at a news conference attended by Dumars and Hemofarm Vrsac Manager Marko Ivanovic.

The Serbian team claimed it had Milicic under contract through 2009 and filed a lawsuit in New York against the player’s American agent. The club was demanding at least $10 million in punitive damages.

The Pistons had said they would not proceed with negotiations until the situation with Milicic’s former team was resolved.

Milicic has angered Serbia and Montenegro basketball officials by refusing to play for the national team at the European Championship later this month in Sweden.

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The Dallas Mavericks added to their international flair by signing guard Jon Stefansson of Iceland.

The 6-foot-5, 200-pound Stefansson is a member of Iceland’s national team and was the player of the year in his homeland’s top league in 2002.

Dallas’ roster also includes players from Germany (Dirk Nowitzki), Canada (Steve Nash), Mexico (Eduardo Najera), France (Tariq Abdul-Wahad) and the Czech Republic (Jiri Welsch).

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Auto Racing

Brian Vickers, 19, will become the youngest full-time competitor ever in NASCAR’s top series next season when he takes over the No. 25 Chevrolet now driven by Joe Nemechek.

Car owner Rick Hendrick put Vickers on an advanced schedule based on the promise he has shown in just under two seasons in the Busch Series.

As the youngest full-time participant in any of NASCAR’s top three classes, Vickers ranks third in the Busch Series points with 15 top-10 finishes and eight top-fives.

Vickers, who turns 20 in October, will be two months younger than Casey Atwood was when he made his Winston Cup debut at age 20 two years ago.

Formula One driver Ralf Schumacher was hospitalized at Rome after his car spun off the track and flipped over during testing at Monza’s raceway, officials said.

Schumacher was having “precautionary medical tests,” test team manager Tim Newton said.

The cause of the accident, on a dry, sunny day, was under investigation.

The U.S. Nationals drag racing championships, rained out last weekend at Indianapolis Raceway Park, have been rescheduled for this weekend.

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Jurisprudence

An Iowa college student pleaded not guilty in Denver federal court to making a death threat against Kobe Bryant’s accuser in a profanity-laced telephone message last month.

John Roche, 22, said nothing in court and ignored reporters outside. He remains free on $250,000 bail.

U.S. Magistrate Patricia Coan barred Roche from drinking alcohol and limited his travel to Colorado and to Iowa, where he attends the University of Iowa.

A Nov. 3 trial was scheduled before U.S. District Judge Walker Miller.

Roche’s attorney, Nathan Chambers, said there was a good chance of a plea bargain but would not elaborate.

If convicted, Roche could get up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

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College Basketball

Former Baylor guard Kenny Taylor transferred to Texas, saying he still loves his former school and hopes it recovers from this summer’s scandal.

Taylor had informed the coaches at Texas of his intention to leave Baylor during the tumultuous time that included the death of player Patrick Dennehy and resignation of coach Dave Bliss. The official announcement couldn’t be made until Texas had finished processing his paperwork.

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Hockey

Center Kirk Muller retired, ending a 19-year career that began as the second overall choice in the 1984 draft and ended with four seasons with the Dallas Stars.

Muller, 37, finished with career totals of 357 goals and 602 assists, for 959 points in 1,349 games.