Patty Mills wasn’t exactly in high demand when the Utah Jazz reached an agreement with him. At 36, Mills is no longer the reliable backup point guard he was during his champion days with the Spurs.
However, Tony Jones of The Athletic explained why the Jazz liked him despite his advanced age.
“It’s Mills’ experience, his craft, the way he prepares, the way he stays in top physical shape and his professionalism that the Jazz are looking for,” Jones wrote. in an article dated August 17.
Jones also explored Mills’ history with Jazz head coach Will Hardy, with whom he previously worked.
“Mills, who played the final weeks of the 2023-24 season with the Miami Heat, has a long-standing relationship with Utah head coach Will Hardy, who cut his teeth as an assistant with the Spurs at the same time Mills was trying to establish himself as an NBA player. Hardy never forgot how hard Mills worked to become a starting-level player in the league.”
Additionally, according to Jones, Utah has had its eyes on Mills for some time now.
“Utah has been interested in Mills for nearly a year and nearly acquired him as the February trade deadline approached.”
Note that Mills was instead released by the Hawks, with whom he later joined the Heat for their playoff run.
While Jones noted that “Mills’ actual role as a player is unclear at this point,” he added that the Jazz believe Mills can help them in the long run, even if his playing days are coming to an end.
“At 36, Mills is not the same player he was when he started. The fact that he still provides value as a mentor speaks volumes. The Jazz hope his habits rub off on the players they want to see develop.”
Part of a successful rebuild is properly developing young talent, and one of the best ways to do that is to have experienced mentors so young players can develop gracefully. not a foolproof planbut talented young players most often reach their potential when they have the right influence on their team.
Mills may be more of an unofficial player development coach than an actual player at this point, but that may be what the Jazz need in their rebuild.
