Patty Mills decided to try something new in his NBA career last season. The veteran point guard left the San Antonio Spurs, with whom he spent the last decade, and joined the Brooklyn Nets. In theory, he was the perfect reserve guard and steady hand who could keep things moving whenever James Harden or Kyrie Irving would need to head to the bench.
While the logic was good, Mills ended up having to shoulder a heavier load than anyone could have anticipated based off of Harden’s eventual trade to Philadelphia and the strange circumstances surrounding Irving’s entire season. Still, he was one of the most reliable members of Brooklyn’s roster, and after one year, the soon-to-be 33-year-old Aussie had to make a decision on his player option worth just over $6 million.
Mills decided, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post, to decline that option and enter free agency.
Patty Mills did not pick up his $6.2 million player option with the #Nets, according to sources close to the player. He is a free agent.
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) June 29, 2022
During his one season as a member of the Nets, Mills averaged 11.4 points per game while hitting 40 percent of his threes. He averaged a career-high 29 minutes per game while playing in more games (81) than any other member of the roster. Given the turmoil of the last season (and so far this offseason) it’s hard to fault Mills for exploring what other opportunities may be out there to join a different contender that could provide some more stability around him.