After a strong showing at the Olympics for his native Australia, the Utah Jazz have agreed to a one-year deal worth at least $3.3 million to sign Patty Mills, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
Free agent guard Patty Mills has signed a one-year, $3.3 million deal with the Utah Jazz, sources tell ESPN. Mills will play his 16th NBA season under coach Will Hardy on a fully guaranteed contract. pic.twitter.com/n479XigF6s
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) 14 August 2024
Hardy was an assistant coach for the Jazz when Mills was on the team.
Mills is a reserve at this point in his career, but he can step in and provide some solid minutes and is a respected voice and mentor in the locker room. Last season, Mills played in 32 games, rotating between the Hawks and Heat, and averaged 4 points per game.
FIBA Mills is something special, averaging 16.5 points per game and hitting 40.5% of his threes while playing more than 30 minutes a night for his native Australia. The Boomers had a 24-point lead over Serbia in the quarterfinals before Nikola Jokic launched a comeback and the Serbs won the game 95-90 in overtime, sending a good Australian team home without a medal.
Utah will likely use Collin Sexton at the point position and Keyonte George at the two (but he can also play point). Off the bench, Jordan Clarkson will be the primary ball handler, but rookie Isaiah Collier will also be used. Mills will slot in behind everyone and will see limited playing time.
Mills is there to mentor young guards like George and Collier and show them by example how a pro takes care of his body and prepares for games. It’s a role that should suit the highly respected Mills well.
