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Utah Jazz Secure Veteran Guard Patty Mills On One-Year USD 3.3 Million Deal; Report
Veteran guard Patty Mills signs a one-year, USD 3.3 million contract with the Utah Jazz, bringing leadership and experience to the young team. Mills is expected to play a key role in their playoff aspirations. Read more.
After a strong showing in the Olympics for Australia, the Utah Jazz signed Patty Mills to a one-year, $3.3 million veteran minimum deal, as reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Mills had previously worked with Jazz head coach Will Hardy when Hardy was an assistant coach for the team.
Though Mills is now a deep reserve in his career, he can still provide valuable minutes and serves as a respected leader and mentor in the locker room. Last season, Mills played 32 games, splitting time between the Hawks and Heat, and averaged 4 points per game.
However, in international play, Mills excelled, averaging 16.5 points per game and shooting 40.5% from three while playing over 30 minutes per night for Australia. The Boomers built a 24-point lead against Serbia in the FIBA World Cup quarterfinals before Nikola Jokic led a comeback, ultimately defeating Australia 95-90 in overtime, eliminating them from medal contention.
For Utah, Collin Sexton is expected to start at point guard, with Keyonte George at shooting guard, although George can also play point. Jordan Clarkson will be the primary ball handler off the bench, with rookie Isaiah Collier also in the mix. Mills will be positioned behind them in the rotation, receiving limited playing time.
Mills is expected to mentor young guards like George and Collier, demonstrating how to maintain physical fitness and prepare for games, a role that suits him well given his respected status in the league.
At his peak, Mills has proven himself as a playoff performer, notably impressing during the 2014 NBA Finals when he scored 31 points across the final two games, contributing to the Spurs' victory over LeBron James and the Miami Heat with his exceptional three-point shooting.
Known for his lethal perimeter shooting, Mills brings veteran experience and can provide a scoring boost. However, his NBA role has significantly declined in recent years. His last productive season was in 2021-22 with the Brooklyn Nets, where he averaged 11.4 points, 2.8 three-pointers, 2.3 assists, and 1.9 rebounds per game.
The following season, his scoring dropped to 6.2 points per game for Brooklyn, and last season was his least effective since his rookie year with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2009-10, as he averaged only 4.0 points per game in 40 games, split between the Atlanta Hawks and the Miami Heat.
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