The Brooklyn Nets have re-signed guard Patty Mills to a multi-year contract.
“Patty is an integral part of what we do both on and off the court, and an important veteran presence in our locker room,” said Nets General Manager Sean Marks. “Coming off one of his best seasons as a pro, we’re thrilled for Patty to return to the Nets.”
Mills originally signed with the Nets as a free agent on Aug. 10, 2021, and appeared in 81 games (career-high 48 starts), registering averages of 11.4 points (second-highest in a season in his career) on 40.8 percent shooting from the field, 40.0 percent shooting from 3-point range (his highest 3-point percentage since shooting 41.4 percent in the 2016-17 season) and 81.4 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 1.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists in a career-high 29.0 minutes per game. The 13-year veteran led the Nets in 3-pointers made (career-high 227), minutes played (career-high 2,346) and games played, while ranking 11th in the league in 3-pointers made. His 227 threes made were the second-most in a season in franchise history, trailing only the 234 3-pointers made by D’Angelo Russell in the 2018-19 campaign, and were 66 more than he had made in any other season in his career (previous high: 161 threes made in the 2020-21 season with the San Antonio Spurs). Propelled by a stellar first half of the season, Mills became the fifth player in franchise history and the first Australian native to participate in the 3-Point Contest at NBA All-Star weekend in Cleveland in February. The 33-year-old scored 20 or more points 16 times, surpassing his previous single season high of nine in the 2019-20 season, and tallied 30 or more points twice, including a career-high-tying 34 points in a Christmas Day road victory against the Los Angeles Lakers, after recording 30 or more points three times in his first 12 seasons combined. Mills has been one of the most durable players in the league, with his six seasons of 80 or more games played since the 2009-10 season (his rookie season) tied for the most in the league in that timeframe. Across the last 10 seasons (2012-22), Mills’ 730 games played are sixth-most in the league.
Mills has seen action in 820 career games (105 starts) in 13 seasons with Brooklyn, San Antonio (2011-21) and Portland (2009-11), registering averages of 9.2 points on 42.6 percent shooting from the field, 38.9 percent shooting from distance and 85.5 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 1.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 20.7 minutes per contest. He’s made 1,173 3-pointers off the bench in his career, ranking fourth in NBA history in the category, trailing Kyle Korver (1,385), Jamal Crawford (1,259) and Lou Williams (1,235). Mills also ranks 47th in NBA history in total 3-pointers made (1,447). The 2014 NBA champion with San Antonio has appeared in 94 playoff games (11 starts) across 11 postseason appearances, averaging 6.7 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 16.1 minutes per game, while shooting 43.4 percent from the field, 38.6 percent from 3-point range and 80.0 percent from the free-throw line.
A native of Canberra, Australia, Mills has been a member of the Australian National Team since 2007. At the Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2021, Mills totaled 42 points and nine assists in Australia’s final game versus Slovenia, leading his country to a bronze medal, which represented the first medal in Australia’s Olympic men’s basketball history. Mills averaged 23.3 points per game, leading all scorers at the 2020 Olympics. He first played for the Boomers in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, becoming the youngest player in the history of Australia to compete in the Olympic Games in basketball.
Mills played two collegiate seasons (2007-09) for Saint Mary’s College of California, appearing in 58 total games (56 starts) and averaging 16.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.0 steals in 32.7 minutes per contest. He was named the WCC Newcomer of the Year as a freshman and earned All-WCC First Team honors in both his freshman and sophomore campaigns. After choosing to forgo his final two years of collegiate eligibility, Mills was drafted by Portland in the second round with the 55th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.