Rumours, free agency, latest updates; Patty Mills searching for new home after declining option with Brooklyn Nets; James Harden set to leave Philadelphia 76ers
Australian NBA player Patty Mills is on the lookout for a new team, after declining his player option to stay in New York with the Brooklyn Nets.
Multiple sources reported on Thursday morning that Mills, 33, had declined a $9 million contract for next season. It’s not particularly surprising, given the uncertain future of the team after a tumultuous 2021-22 season.
While superstar Kyrie Irving is staying after opting into his $53 million option after an insane game of chicken with the Nets, there is still a sense of deep instability in Kevin Durant’s team.
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There are plenty of solid fits for veteran Australian Mills – the Nuggets, Lakers, Celtics, Bucks, and Heat are all contending teams he would get decent minutes off the bench for.
Mills was expected to be a complementary piece for Brooklyn when they signed him last year, but ended up playing huge minutes – especially early on in the season – as Kyrie Irving remained away from the team for large chunks of time due to his stance on vaccinations.
His red-hot start to the season gradually petered out, but he’s still got plenty to offer in what has been a glittering NBA career, the high point being a championship ring in 2014.
Harden to become free agent
James Harden, the former league MVP, turned down a one-year, $47.3 million ($68.6 million AUD) option with the Philadelphia 76ers, whom he was traded to from the Nets in February, with Australian Ben Simmons going the other way.
This doesn’t mean that Harden will leave the team – and reports from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski claim that both sides are keen to work out a long-term deal, and one that would see Harden play a part in re-shaping the roster that wants to be considered among title contenders next year.
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Expect a deluge of signings to be announced in a week’s time – free agents are allowed to negotiate with teams from Friday morning Australian time, but deals cannot be confirmed until the early hours of July 7.
Blockbuster trade leaves Spurs fans stunned
San Antonio fans were left scratching their heads after All-Star Dejounte Murray was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, for a package that included Danilo Gallinari and ‘multiple first-round picks’.
It’s a clear declaration that the Spurs have moved into re-build mode, with the 25-year-old entering his prime and coming off the best season of his blossoming career.
Murray and guard Trae Young will form a deadly tandem in Atlanta, who are pushing their chips into the middle in what is shaping up as a wide-open Eastern Conference.
Murray signed a four-year, $64 million ($92.9 million AUD) contract in 2019, meaning his new team will have two years of control.
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