Official: Nets re-sign Patty Mills to two-year, $14.5 million extension

Patty Mills’ signing is official. The Nets announced that Mills signed his new contract, a reported two-year, $14.5 million deal that is essentially a renewal of the taxpayers MLE. Mills, 34, had a player option for this coming season and elected to opt out so he could sign a longer deal which could be his final NBA deal.

The $14.5 million was the most the Nets could extend. Brooklyn still hasn’t filled this year’s TMLE, which is now $6.5 million. The Nets have now re-signed three of its nine free agents and added three others, including two-way Alondes Williams. With Mills signing, the Nets are now at 13 players under contract including Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving but not David Duke Jr. who is a restricted free agent.

“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 Sean Marks in a statement announcing the news. “Coming off one of his best seasons as a pro, we’re thrilled for Patty to return to the Nets.”

Mills 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,

Mills 227 3-pointers in the second most in Nets history, only seven shy of D’Angelo Russell’s 234 in 2018-19.

Although Mills tailed off in the second half, many including Steve Nash said they believed Mills was simply fatigued, having played a far higher number of minutes than he expected with Kyrie Irving sitting out so many games. Mills also played a rigorous Olympic schedule in the summer, winning Australia’s first Olympic medal, a bronze, in men’s basketball.

Mills also worked with fellow Australian Ben Simmons after the former All-NBA star was traded to the Nets in the James Harden deal. Mills, who knows Simmons parents, has said of Simmons “I will have his back.”

The native of Canberra, Mills won the Australian of the Year last year and won the NBA Sportsmanship Award this year.

• BROOKLYN NETS RE-SIGN PATTY MILLS - Brooklyn Nets