After being swept by the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, ahead lies an intriguing offseason for the San Antonio Spurs. They have a few names coming off the books in free agency this coming summer, one of which is Patty Mills.
Mills has spent the last six years of his NBA career as the primary backup to Tony Parker, serving as one of the key pieces in Gregg Popovich’s rotation for multiple championship runs. Now more than ever, a dependable backup point guard has become a must for any NBA roster, a trend that should make Mills a sought after free agent. According to Michael K-B of CBS Sports, one of the teams that already has Mills on their radar is the Philadelphia 76ers:
The #sixers will pursue G Patty Mills this offseason, per source.
— Michael K-B (@therealmikekb) May 25, 2017
A fit in Philly could be a beneficial one for not only Patty Mills, but it could pay huge dividends for the 76ers offense. With Ben Simmons in the fold and ready to potentially serve as the primary ball-handler, an off-ball point guard who can shoot the lights out such as Mills could be the perfect compliment.
Philly also has an abundance of young big men with the likes of Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor, and Dario Saric so Mills would be able to immediately come in and space the floor for them as well.
With a rock-solid frontcourt already in place, perimeter scoring is one of the glaring weaknesses of this young and upcoming roster. It’s no secret the 76ers will be in the market all summer long for a guard that can stretch the floor, and Patty Mills may just be the right fit if he decides to leave San Antonio.
