Jock Landale has played his way into the NBA, while Boomers teammate Patty Mills is set to battle for a title next year with the Brooklyn Nets.
Centre Landale has reportedly signed a two-year deal with the San Antonio Spurs, the team Mills won a championship with in 2014. The Athletic first reported the news of Landale’s deal.
Mills has played under Gregg Popovich since 2012 but, in a strange twist before the Boomers’ Olympic semifinal on Thursday against the United States team the Spurs mentor coaches, appears set to join Team USA’s star man Kevin Durant at the Nets.
Landale, 25, was unfortunate not to secure an NBA contract after a standout 2019-20 season with Lithuanian EuroLeague outfit Zalgiris.
Instead he returned to the NBL with Melbourne United, leading them to a title and collecting finals MVP honours.
A team-first, mobile three-point shooter, the versatile Landale – who can play centre or as a forward- had a strong 2019 World Cup campaign and has been a go-to man in Tokyo as the Boomers seek a maiden international medal.
Free agent Mills had been linked with the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers but has settled on a $[AU]16m deal with the Nets – which includes a player option on the second year – his agent, Steven Heumann of CAA Basketball, told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Mills averaged 10.8 points on 41.2 per cent shooting (37.5% from three-point range) in 24.8 minutes per game over 68 games last season – with a career high 181 three-pointers.
Like at the Spurs, the soon to be 33-year-old would likely be called on to lead the Nets’ second unit.
“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.”
Free agents and fellow Boomers Matthew Dellavedova and Dante Exum, who starred in a quarterfinal defeat of Argentina, remain on the market.
A title-winner with Cleveland, Dellavedova will play for United in the NBL if he doesn’t land another NBA deal.
