Star Boomers guard Patty Mills is set to battle for an NBA title next season with multiple reports that he is joining the Brooklyn Nets in a $12 million ($A16m) deal.
The sought-after free agent had been linked with the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers but has settled on a move – which includes a player option on the second year – to link up with star trio Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving at the eastern conference favourites.
The Canberra-born Mills, a 12-year NBA veteran who spent the past 10 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, averaged 10.8 points on 41.2-percent shooting (37.5 percent from 3-point range) in 24.8 minutes per game over 68 games (one start) last season – with a career high 181 three-pointers.
The soon to be 33-year-old Australian was a second-round pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, where he spent two seasons before joining San Antonio – winning the NBA championship in 2014.
He has career averages of 8.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists.
Mills has never started more than 36 games in an NBA season, but has been an extremely productive player off the bench and would likely lead the Nets’ second unit.
He has again shown while playing for Australia at the Tokyo Olympics that he can be a high-level scorer capable of carrying a team – with the Boomers to face his soon-to-be teammate Durant and the star-studded United States team in the semi-finals on Thursday.
“My mindset is with my country and this team, my heart is with my country,” Mills said on Tuesday of how he deals with the distraction of free agency.
“We’re on a mission here and we always talk about having no distractions … we’re in the trenches together and not going to let anything come in the way of that.”
Meanwhile, the Warriors have signed two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry to a four-year, $215m ($A292m) contract extension on Tuesday, according to a report by ESPN.
The deal makes the three-time champ the first player in history to sign two contracts worth more than $200m ($A272m), according to Curry’s agent, Jeff Austin of Octagon Basketball.
The 33-year-old Curry’s current contract is set to expire next summer, which means this extension will tie him to the Warriors through 2026.
Carmelo Anthony is joining close friend LeBron James at the Lakers, according to multiple reports.
Anthony agreed to a one-year deal according to his manager, Bay Frazier, and is set to join a rebuilt roster expected to include Dwight Howard, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington, Kendrick Nunn and Malik Monk.
The Chicago Bulls have made another major upgrade, acquiring high-scoring small forward DeMar DeRozan a day after adding point guard Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, while Spain international guard Ricky Rubio is headed to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
AAP with Reuters
