Men’s basketball at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics has concluded, and with that, a number of talents from around the NBA, including the Brooklyn Nets, are taking home medals.
Yet despite Kevin Durant leading Team USA to a gold medal win over Team France on Friday night, its newest addition Patty Mills who’s ruling the headlines.
The 32-year old guard scored 42 points on Friday to lift Team Austrailia over Team Slovenia and capture bronze:
It’s the first-ever medal win for Australia in Olympic competition.
Mills, who’s entering his 13th professional season, signed a two-year/$12-million deal with the Nets on Tuesday.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was first with reports of the signing:
Free agent G Patty Mills has agreed to a two-year, $12M deal with the Brooklyn Nets, his agent Steven Heumann of @CAA_Basketball tells ESPN. Deal includes a player option.
Mills averaged 10.8 points, 2.4 assists, and 1.7 rebounds per game last season with the San Antonio Spurs.
But the Nets weren’t the only team vying for his services in free agency.
Mills Chose Nets Over Lakers
As is mentioned in Adrian Wojnarowski’s tweet, Patty Mills turned down other offers to join the Brooklyn Nets.
Insider Marc Stein followed up that report with just who he may have told no to:
Patty Mills chooses the Nets over the Lakers, @espn says
The Los Angeles Lakers were also in the market for a backup point guard, and have since settled on Kendrick Nunn.
Look for Mills to slide into that role with the Nets, and provide some much-needed defensive aptitude and shooting.
The 32-year old guard shot 41% on catch-and-shoot threes last year, opportunities he’ll see even more of in Brooklyn.
If anything, perhaps this feeds into the fire that fans are hoping could soon become a rivalry between the two teams.
And speaking of rivalries…
Durant Calls Out Boston Celtics
Upon seeing Patty Mills after the awards ceremony on Saturday, Kevin Durant issued a warning to the Boston Celtics:
NEW TEAMMATES KEVIN DURANT AND PATTY MILLS 🤩 @KDTrey5
Whether he was joking or not, the Brooklyn Nets’ fanbase certainly isn’t going to let him forget this quote.
And the Boston Celtics fans won’t either.
Especially after they were outed in just five games in the first round of the playoffs by none other than Durant and company.
The Eastern Conference is only getting tougher, and a part of that can be credited (even if only a little bit) to Mills signing on with the 2022 title favorites.
Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets will have their work cut out for them this season in their well-anticipated title run.
But it’s clear both sides are eager to do so. Especially given the latest news to come out of the Borough.
Durant Inks Four-Year Extension
Despite currently being in Tokyo and having just beaten Team France to earn his third Olympics gold medal, All-Star forward Kevin Durant is tending to business.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that he’s planning to sign a four-year/$198-million extension as early as this week:
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant plans to sign a four-year, $198 million contract extension sometime after he becomes eligible on Saturday, @RichKleiman tells ESPN.
For more on the deal, go to @Boardroom:
Durant, now 32, is coming off of a stellar 2020-2021 season with the Brooklyn Nets.
The 11-time All-Star averaged 26.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.3 blocks over 35 appearances last season.
Brooklyn, of course, was eliminated prematurely in the postseason, by the Milwaukee Bucks in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.
Now, the Brooklyn Nets will look to extend the other two members of their Big Three, James Harden and Kyrie Irving as soon as is possible.
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