Patty Mills won't be part of the Houston Rockets' hopeful jump toward legitimacy next season after all.
The veteran guard is being acquired by the Oklahoma City Thunder in a multi-team trade that includes the Rockets, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Thunder will reportedly receive draft compensation for taking on Mills' $6.8 million expiring contract.
The Brooklyn Nets agreed to send Mills to Houston on Saturday afternoon, a move that initially looked like another step in the Rockets' veteran offseason overhaul. It was quickly reported by Kelly Iko of The Athletic that the Australian sharpshooter wouldn't be staying in H-Town, though, soon re-routed to another team as part of the Rockets' sign-and-trade for Dillon Brooks with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Final parameters of the deal involving Houston, Memphis and Oklahoma City have yet to be determined. Putting Mills' salary on the books takes Oklahoma City slightly over the cap, but Sam Presti and the front office never had ambitions of using cap space to sign expensive outside free agents this summer anyway.
Getting a second-round pick to take on Mills' contract is simply smart business for the Thunder, who also need all the shooting and floor-spacing they can muster around superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Oklahoma City is loaded in the backcourt after trading up to draft Cason Wallace at No. 10 and signing European star Vasilije Micic to a multi-year deal, though, allowing for the possibility the 34-year-old ultimately finishes next season elsewhere.
Still, the young Thunder could certainly benefit from Mills' presence in the locker room, just as it seemed the Rockets would before sending him on the move once again.
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