Yahoo! Sports is reporting that Darko Milicic is "leaning strongly toward" leaving Boston and the NBA to return to Europe.
In addition, NBA writer Adrian Wojnarowski said that Milicic is frustrated by his lack of playing time with the Celtics. He hasn't played since the season opener and didn't go with the team over the weekend on a road trip to Detroit.
Wojnarowski reported: "Boston coach Doc Rivers met with Milicic recently and told him to take time to make a decision on his family and future, sources said. Milicic had been productive in the preseason, but has fallen behind Jason Collins in the Celtics' rotation."
His mother, who is ill according to the report, lives in Serbia.
Milicic was the second pick in the 2003 NBA draft and never came close to living up to expectations. The Celtics are his fifth NBA team, and his best season came in 2010-11 with the Wolves, when he averaged 8.8 points and five rebounds while starting 69 games for the Kurt Rambis-coached Wolves.
He was a starter at the beginning of last season, but saw him playing slip dramatically under coach Rick Adelman.
You can read Wojnarowski's full report here.
Upload would be snarky about Detroit taking Milicic in the 2003 draft, when the other four players taken with the top five picks were LeBron james, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade.
