Jazz Sign Veteran Guard Patty Mills to One-Year, $3.3M Deal
The Utah Jazz have agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million deal with veteran point guard Patty Mills, who will return for the 16th NBA season, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The contract is fully guaranteed through the 2024-25 season.
Patty Mills will play under Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy, who was an assistant at the San Antonio Spurs.
Mills, 36, will play under Jazz coach Will Hardy, who was an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs from 2015 to 2021 while Mills was with the team.
During that time, Mills averaged 10 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 23.1 minutes in 459 games (50 starts). He also shot 42.4% from the field, 38.6% from beyond the arc, and 86.3% from the free throw line.
In 66 games (one start) with San Antonio during the 2019-20 season, he averaged a career-high 11.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 22.5 minutes per contest while shooting 43.1% from the field. on the floor, 38.2% from 3-point range, and 86.6% from the foul line.
Free agent guard Patty Mills has agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million deal with the Utah Jazz, sources tell ESPN. Mills will reunite with coach Will Hardy for his 16th NBA season on a fully guaranteed contract. pic.twitter.com/n479XigF6s
– Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 14, 2024
Mills was especially dominant in the 2014 NBA Finals, when he scored a combined 31 points in the last two games and helped the Spurs beat LeBron James and the Miami Heat with 3-point daggers.
During the 2013-14 regular season, the 6-foot-2 guard ranked seventh in 3-point percentage (42.5%), 10th in effective field goal percentage (56.5%), and 20th in offensive box and/or takedowns (2.9). .
Mills posted his worst numbers since his rookie year last season
Although Mills is a scoring threat from the perimeter, his NBA role has diminished in recent years. His last productive season came in the 2021–22 season with the Brooklyn Nets, where he averaged 11.4 points, 1.9 boards, and 2.3 assists per contest.
However, he averaged just 6.2 points per game for Brooklyn the following season. Last season was his worst campaign since his first year with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2009-10, as he averaged just 4.0 points per game in 40 appearances split between the Atlanta Hawks and Heat.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics while representing Australia, Mills proved he can still contribute in the backcourt. He was second on the team in scoring at 16.5 points per game. The Saint Mary's product also averaged 2.3 3-pointers per game and shot 40.9% from deep.
In a 95-90 overtime loss to eventual bronze medalist Serbia in the quarterfinals, Mills led all scorers with 26 points on 11-of-21 shooting (52.4%) in 35 minutes of action. In comparison, Nikola Jokic led Serbia with 21 points in 39 minutes played in that game.
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