What's Serbian for "see ya"?

Well, it has to be official if Darko's NBA profile already lists him with his new team, right? It looks like Joe Dumars wanted a Darko-free All-Star break because the rumored trade that has hijacked Detroit sports blogs this week was finally completed last night. Darko is off to the magical land of Orlando, with Carlos Arroyo in the passenger seat, and we can start placing bets on how long Kelvin Cato remains on the Pistons' roster. (Shall we start the pool at one week or one day? After the All-Star break?)

We've been batting the pros and cons of this deal around Detroit Blog Nation for the past three days, so there's probably nothing more to say on that subject. However, it really bothers me that Detroit won't be receiving Orlando's 2006 1st-round pick. And if the Magic's selection is among the top five next year, Detroit won't see that 1st-round pick until 2008. At least Detroit won't have to wait as long as they did for Vancouver's pick in the Otis Thorpe deal (which was used to select - hey! - Darko Milicic). That took seven years. Hell, the Grizzlies weren't even in the same city by then.

And if you're worried over the back-up point guard situation, the Detroit News' Chris McCosky says the Pistons prefer to turn Cato around in a trade for a point guard, rather than waive him. I'd say "good luck with that, Joe," but probably shouldn't underestimate the market for a $8.5 million expiring contract. Teams love making salary cap room. (Look how well it's worked for the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks.)

Feel like some links this morning? I like 'em better than the patties.

▪▪ ESPN.com's Chad Ford reminds you that he likes Darko - he really, really likes him - during his SportsCentury-esque retrospective of our favorite human victory cigar's career. (If you don't have an ESPN Insider login, just imagine a sepia-toned Ken Burns-like documentary in which Ford tells you where he first saw Darko, and recounts how it didn't work out in Detroit.)

▪▪ Staying with ESPN.com, if you're wondering what Will Perdue thinks of the deal, now you can find out.

▪▪ And John Hollinger reminds Joe D of what The Wayne Fontes Experience has said all along: You better make another deal, 'cuz Lindsey Hunter as back-up point guard ain't gettin' it done.

▪▪ Mickey Tettleton Memorial Overpass follows the Darko-in-Detroit timeline, while also recapping Chad Ford's infatuation with the master of many hairdos.

▪▪ Detroit Bad Boys points out the inherit irony in trading Darko to Orlando, while reminding us that the Pistons probably wouldn't have won the 2004 NBA championship had they drafted another player instead.

▪▪ Hey, Mitch Albom wrote about the Darko trade! So you know it's a big story here.

▪▪ Does this mean that your "Free Darko" t-shirt is now a novelty collectible? (And will Free Darko have to change its name?)

▪▪ Need4Sheed has a touching goodbye photo of Darko and Carlos Arroyo. They're going to Disney World, y'all!