The Utah Jazz have continued to add NBA veterans to fill out their roster shortly after making some of their additions official. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that they have signed Patty Mills to the roster.
Free agent guard Patty Mills has agreed on a one-year, $3.3 million deal with the Utah Jazz, sources tell ESPN. Mills will reunite with coach Will Hardy for his 16th NBA season on a fully guaranteed deal. pic.twitter.com/n479XigF6s
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 14, 2024
Mills seems like an odd choice given that he just turned 36 and may not have much of a long-term place on a young team like the Jazz. However, there are some conclusions to take from the Jazz's most recent pickup.
The Jazz want veteran leadership & championship experience in that locker room
Mills is most certainly not the guard he was back when he helped the Spurs reach multiple NBA Finals, which included winning an NBA title in 2014. However, it's undeniable that he brings veteran presence to that locker room.
The Jazz sport a roster filled with young players who possess a fair amount of talent, but all of that talent can go to waste if not given the proper leadership to help them win a title. Because Mills knows what it's like to have gone all the way to the top, he could do a lot of good in the development of the Jazz's youth.
That's not to say that it's a foolproof plan, but it's worth trying out for the Jazz since they don't have much to lose at this point.
Mills isn't the only champion who went to Utah this season, as Svi Mykhailiuk is also coming off winning a title with the Celtics. Since the Jazz will go through their rebuild slowly,
Will Hardy gets someone he's familiar with
Hardy and Mills have worked together before. As part of the Greg Poppovich coaching tree, Hardy coached Mills in San Antonio as an assistant from 2015 to 2021.
Because Mills and Hardy are familiar with each other, that can also teach the young players how they can mesh with Hardy's coaching style. Hardy has proven that not only can he coach, but it has led to some modicum of success. While it may have been a little too much, the results have been there.
At the same time, the success has come from coaching the veterans on Utah's roster. Mills could provide players with the bridge so that they can understand what Hardy teaches them, which could in turn, help them become the players the Jazz want them to be.
Playing time will be earned for the Jazz youngsters
The Jazz already sent this message when they signed Mykhailiuk. Signing Mills just further emphasizes the point.
Some teams throw the young kids to the wolves when they first draft them, but it can be a little too much, too soon. Young players can thrive better when they have someone to beat out for playing time.
Mills and Mykhailiuk will be that competition. They may not be surefire rotation players in 2024, but they definitely set the bar for what has to be done to earn their spot in the rotation.
The Jazz won't acquire any bad contracts... for now
Before the Jazz extended Lauri Markkanen, there was plenty fo speculation that they would perhaps use their final roster spots to acquire overpaid players in the hopes of getting more assets. With Mills on the roster, they have 15 players.
To be fair, the Jazz can have 20 players be on their training camp roster, but having 15 players on guaranteed contracts signifies that who they have now will likely be on their opening night roster pending any surprises.
Never say never if the Jazz make some trades before the NBA trade deadline, but for the time being, there won't be any drastic changes for the next couple of months.