Brooklyn Nets: Grading the team's transactions in the 2021 offseason

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Brooklyn Nets (Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports).

1. Brooklyn Nets sign Patty Mills to a 2-year, $12 million contract

There’s more than meets the eye with Patty Mills. After 10 years in silver and black, Mills is headed to the borough of Kings to compete for another championship with the Brooklyn Nets. While his career stats may not jump off the page, anyone who has seen a FIBA basketball game in the last decade knows what Patty is capable of.

However, FIBA Patty isn’t what the Nets are looking for here. Mills knows how to fill a role and execute it to perfection; moving the ball and initiating offense for others while providing a scoring threat every time the rock lands in his hands. Patty can score seven points one night, 24 the next, and will have the same winning impact on a game either way.

He does so through leadership both on and off the court. His veteran intellect is vast and he’s not afraid to sacrifice individual production for the greater good of his team. Heck, Patty did it for the last several years on a San Antonio Spurs team that scrapped for a low playoff seed.

What’s most interesting here is the value of the contract. Mills made $13.3 million a year ago and likely could’ve made another $9+ million annually on the open market. Instead, Patty opted to take approx. $6 million a year from Brooklyn to re-join his 2014 championship teammate Tiago Splitter, who is a Player Development Coach for the Nets.

Simply put, Patty is a championship-quality player. He’s the ultimate professional, a selfless teammate, and a winning contributor during playoff basketball. Don’t be surprised when Mills plays a crucial role for the Nets come playoff time.