Blazers Sign Patty Mills

by Ben Golliver on Oct 16, 2009 4:50 PM PDT in News

According to this release from the Portland Trail Blazers...

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Trail Blazers signed guard Patrick Mills to a contract, it was announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Portland selected Mills (6-0, 185) with the 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft after playing two seasons at St. Mary's (CA) College.

Mills, who fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot during an NBA Summer League practice session on July 9, underwent successful surgery on July 13 and is continuing his rehabilitation on schedule.

The Australian national was an early entry candidate for the NBA Draft out of St. Mary's, where he posted averages of 16.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.97 steals in two seasons. Mills, 21, was a First Team All-WCC selection as a freshman and sophomore.

This announcement directly contradicts NBADraft.Net's report yesterday that the team was planning to waive Mills today.

What does this mean for Ime Udoka and Jarron Collins? Well, not a whole lot. This is likely a non-guaranteed contract that simply adds Mills's name to the training camp mix, for now.

As Sham from ShamSports.com points out via twitter...

ShamSports: You can't be waived if you ain't signed.

So this could wind up being more a procedural necessity than anything else. Then again, given the official public announcement, maybe not. But Friday at 5PM sure seems like a strange time to announce the signing of your newest player.

Indeed, the Blazers also shuffled the following papers today, according to the team's official twitter account...

Along with Mills signing, Blazers pick up 4th year option on Greg Oden and 3rd year options on Fernandez, Batum and Bayless

This release provides a little bit more information...

TRAIL BLAZERS EXERCISE OPTIONS ON ODEN, FERNANDEZ, BATUM AND BAYLESS

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Trail Blazers exercised their fourth-year option on center Greg Oden and third-year options on the contracts of guard/forward Rudy Fernandez, forward Nicolas Batum and guard Jerryd Bayless.

The moves, announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard, keep all four players under contract through the 2010-11 season.

Portland selected Oden with the No. 1 overall pick and acquired Fernandez via trade in the 2007 NBA Draft.

The Trail Blazers acquired Batum and Bayless in 2008 draft day trades.

Clarifying details to come, I'm sure.

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

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Comments

so does this mean

no ime or jarron?

Happy birthday to the ground!

by phillyduck23 on Oct 16, 2009 4:52 PM PDT reply actions

also congrats to patty

im happy to see him in the pros after he was such an awesome college player

Happy birthday to the ground!

by phillyduck23 on Oct 16, 2009 4:52 PM PDT up reply actions

So no Ime?

Portland Trail Blazers 2009-2010 Western Conference Champs

by OSUBlazerfan on Oct 16, 2009 4:52 PM PDT reply actions

I'm okay with that

We can always waive Mills if we need a roster spot.

"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely

by skywaker9 on Oct 16, 2009 4:56 PM PDT up reply actions

This is weird

draft patrick patterson

by Starvin' Marvin on Oct 16, 2009 4:56 PM PDT reply actions

I like this deal

Mills could really have a HUGE upside, he just needs time.

"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely

by skywaker9 on Oct 16, 2009 4:56 PM PDT reply actions

Yeah, that’s what I think too. Lots of upside.

by mas1983 on Oct 16, 2009 4:58 PM PDT up reply actions

The only reason he slid so far

Is that NBA GMs have become very very wary of drafting any player with injury issues (see Blair).

"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely

by skywaker9 on Oct 16, 2009 4:59 PM PDT up reply actions

There are exactly 0 minutes available at PG this season for him on the Blazers, and he doesn't want to play D-League or Europe

"I think he can still play" - Kevin Pritchard on Juwan Howard

by Norsktroll on Oct 16, 2009 5:14 PM PDT up reply actions

At best, Patty Mills will be the second-coming of Jose Barea.

For some reason, people are vastly overrating this tiny waterbug.

Stupid people have stupid ideas.

by AK1984 on Oct 16, 2009 5:24 PM PDT up reply actions

well, at least Barea can run the PnR

Mills can shoot and dribble through pressure, but not finish or set up teammates for easy baskets.

Oh, and besides Barea there’s no one in the NBA that he can effectively guard

but Patty’s going to be a better NBA guard than Bayless…uh-huh

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Oct 16, 2009 8:21 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, it's hard to find a good comparison for Patty Mills.

Someone who’s short, an off guard rather than pure point, and relatively inefficient despite being a high usage player would fit the mold. Hmm, I guess Chucky Atkins comes to mind. For a 5’11" tall guy, Atkins’ career 23.5% AST% is a paltry number and his career 20.1% USG% is a tad high for a so-so role player. That, along with a mediocre 13.2 PER, 52.3% TS%, and 109 Defensive Rating for his career, are nothing to write home about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x79l0J0XEig

Stupid people have stupid ideas.

by AK1984 on Oct 16, 2009 8:48 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm happy

Yay! I’m happy we signed Patty Mills.

by mas1983 on Oct 16, 2009 4:58 PM PDT reply actions

So he is not going to play overseas then?

by resurrect_ha28 on Oct 16, 2009 4:59 PM PDT reply actions

Apprently not

Have fun in Idaho Patty…

"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely

by skywaker9 on Oct 16, 2009 5:00 PM PDT up reply actions

I guess he is going overseas

Portland Trail Blazers 2009-2010 Western Conference Champs

by OSUBlazerfan on Oct 16, 2009 5:01 PM PDT reply actions

refresh the post

Blazersedge.com || Twitter!

by Ben Golliver on Oct 16, 2009 5:02 PM PDT reply actions

Back in the day, it was Dave’s not here!

by MiledAnimal on Oct 16, 2009 5:15 PM PDT up reply actions

The thing is, the announcement is pretty vague

He might be under contract to run one of the concessions at the Rose Garden. We just don’t know …

by CatMan2 on Oct 16, 2009 5:02 PM PDT reply actions

Imagine how fast that guy could serve hot dogs

Disclaimer: everything I know about basketball I learned on Blazersedge.

by pualo on Oct 16, 2009 5:51 PM PDT up reply actions

KP will try to move Mills for a conditional future 2nd round pick in a (sign&)trade

Failing to do so, he will just be waived.

"I think he can still play" - Kevin Pritchard on Juwan Howard

by Norsktroll on Oct 16, 2009 5:11 PM PDT reply actions

I think you can't trade a draft pick for 30 days after he signs with the team.

If so, Patty Mills will be waived sometime before the beginning of this season.

Stupid people have stupid ideas.

by AK1984 on Oct 16, 2009 5:23 PM PDT up reply actions

The S&T is more like the hope of getting anything in return. Just waiving him so he can become an Unrestricted Free Agent is the more likely outcome.

"I think he can still play" - Kevin Pritchard on Juwan Howard

by Norsktroll on Oct 16, 2009 5:24 PM PDT up reply actions

The problem there is I don't believe Patty Mills is eligible to immediately be traded elsewhere.

Again, my guess is that Mills will be waived sometime later tihs month. It’s like Demetris Nichols with the New York Knicks in 2007.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/knicks_mull_nichols_future_sEWkFXoPO8Msl86FNL2hbN

Stupid people have stupid ideas.

by AK1984 on Oct 16, 2009 5:27 PM PDT up reply actions

He's not. You can't trade a signed draft rookie for 30 days.

This is just Mills signing to get waived and become an unrestricted free agent.

by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 16, 2009 6:52 PM PDT up reply actions

I thank you for the confirmation.

Stupid people have stupid ideas.

by AK1984 on Oct 16, 2009 7:51 PM PDT up reply actions

I war already wondering how to find playing time

for Bayless, now Mills ?

by Blenzer on Oct 16, 2009 5:16 PM PDT reply actions

I WAS wondering

by Blenzer on Oct 16, 2009 5:16 PM PDT up reply actions

trade Rex and play Patty?

"Is it always like this?" Collins said after the scrimmage. "It was like the first game of the NBA playoffs or something."

by Y5k on Oct 16, 2009 8:25 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions

trade Rex and play Patty?

"Is it always like this?" Collins said after the scrimmage. "It was like the first game of the NBA playoffs or something."

by Y5k on Oct 16, 2009 8:25 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions

That is a solution

although I think it would have been better to trade him last year when his value was way (I think so) higher, hence the wasting…
Then of course if he never plays his value could even drop lower.

by Blenzer on Oct 17, 2009 6:09 AM PDT up reply actions

Ime Udoka > Patty Mills.

The opening day roster will reflect that fact, too.

Stupid people have stupid ideas.

by AK1984 on Oct 16, 2009 5:26 PM PDT reply actions

ime udoka = crutch

for nate mcmillan.

you don’t want him taking away minutes from batum.

by CleBlazer on Oct 16, 2009 5:34 PM PDT up reply actions

doesnt matter

the 15th man doesnt get too much playing time anyway

bayless leaves over my dead body
andre miller>hedo, blake
real.baller
R.A.M.B.O (do it nate, if you are smart)
"I could have killed 'em all, I could kill you. In town you're the law, out here it's me. Don't push it. Don't push it or I'll give you a war you won't believe. Let it (last years starting line-up) go. Let it go."

by thomasikehara on Oct 16, 2009 6:14 PM PDT up reply actions

Said before and will say again

with Batums bum shoulder and Martells broken foot there’s every chance Ime can get significant minutes this year. He may also get none. Same for Howard. Any injury to LMA or flake out by Travis means Howard gets major minutes. The 14th and 15th slots on this team are not throw-aways.

by oregonslee on Oct 16, 2009 7:34 PM PDT up reply actions

Hmm. Just don't think he's playing for us this year.

by dario argento on Oct 16, 2009 5:34 PM PDT reply actions

NW Division Champs now - mark it.

by hotstuffdb22 on Oct 16, 2009 5:53 PM PDT reply actions

Wait for the other shoe to drop.....

Where theres smokes, there could be a trade.

"That's just how I get down"........ Andre Miller

by FrenchieFan on Oct 16, 2009 5:54 PM PDT reply actions

This may appear like we signed Mills to keep him, but actually this is Mills signing to become a free agent.

The Blazers had to give Mills a Required Tender, which is just a one year offer, or he would have automatically become a free agent. The Blazers didn’t want him to sign that offer. They wanted him to leave it unsigned and go sign with another team in Europe or elsewhere. That way they would have retained his rights, as they do Freeland, Claver, etc.

Instead, Mills signed the offer. So now the Blazers either have to keep him as the 15th player, or they have to waive him by Oct 27 and then he becomes an unrestricted free agent. I doubt they will keep him as the 15th player, so the Blazers will no longer have exclusive rights to him.

The Blazers also can not trade him for 30 days because he is now a signed draft rookie.

by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 16, 2009 6:49 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

So Mills did sign the Required Tender by Sept 6th?

Can someone confirm this is the case? Is there a press release? Because I could never find something to say he had or had not signed.

by Celticsbloke on Oct 16, 2009 7:08 PM PDT up reply actions

He had until at least Oct 15 to sign it.

This press release would appear to be the confirmation he signed it.

by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 16, 2009 7:32 PM PDT up reply actions

Thanks BlazerFan

It seems I missed the distinction – Blazers had to offer the tender by Sept 6 but Mills only had to sign by Oct 15. So the fact that he only signed at the last minute, would that suggest that the Blazers have been talking to Mills about playing overseas, so they can retain his rights, but weren’t able to convince him that was best for his interests? Hence, he has signed to force the Blazers to either give him a roster spot or let him become a FA?

by Celticsbloke on Oct 16, 2009 7:42 PM PDT up reply actions

It certainly seems that way. AK1984 nailed it above too.

by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 16, 2009 11:24 PM PDT up reply actions

If we keep Mills Bayless must be seriously pissed

Of course if we have a trade for Bayless, Mills is perfect.

"Either way we have two phenomenal units. I'm excited to play with either one." - Martell Webster

by lee3022 on Oct 16, 2009 7:26 PM PDT reply actions

Agreed

And I’m cool with that.
Good for everyone

"Is it always like this?" Collins said after the scrimmage. "It was like the first game of the NBA playoffs or something."

by Y5k on Oct 16, 2009 8:38 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs

Can they put him on th DL?

by dawgman47 on Oct 16, 2009 9:41 PM PDT reply actions

There is no injured reserve or special spots if he plays for the d-league team. If he was signed to a contract (even unguaranteed), he takes a roster spot until he gets waived or traded.

"I think he can still play" - Kevin Pritchard on Juwan Howard

by Norsktroll on Oct 16, 2009 11:39 PM PDT up reply actions

by nikolokolus on Oct 16, 2009 10:41 PM PDT up reply actions

You're not the only one BRoyinthe4th,

Can someone give me trade scenarios of what pf /c’s the Blazers could trade Outlaw and Bayless for ?? And how does the Bayless contract signing yesterday affect trading him ??

"That's just how I get down"........ Andre Miller

by FrenchieFan on Oct 17, 2009 2:10 PM PDT up reply actions