NBA veteran guard Patty Mills was released by the Atlanta Hawks last week. It was a nice gesture by the franchise, as they are in a bit of a transition and wouldn’t be contending for a championship.
Wanting Mills to have a chance to do so, they released him ahead of the deadline so that he could be eligible for a postseason roster. Now, we know which team Mills will be chasing that ring with for the remainder of the season.
According to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Mills will be signing a deal with the Miami Heat. Miami will be the fifth franchise that Mills suits up for in his career, which is in its 15th season.
The Heat are an interesting landing spot for Mills. They have revamped their backcourt this season, as 2023 NBA Playoff standout Gabe Vincent departed in free agency, signing with the Los Angeles Lakers.
They also traded veteran Kyle Lowry to the Charlotte Hornets in a deal that brought Terry Rozier back to South Beach. Lowry hadn’t quite lived up to expectations with the Heat since being signed in 2021 and has since landed with the Philadelphia 76ers after being bought out.
Mills will provide the Heat with some veteran insurance at the end of their bench, someone who can provide spot minutes and a little bit of scoring punch in a pinch. He has plenty of playoff experience from his time with the San Antonio Spurs earlier in his career.
The best skill Mills will bring along with him is his 3-point shooting. He will provide Miami with another stellar spot-up shooter, opening up the court for Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo to operate more freely without opponents being able to collapse the defense on them.
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