Australian Team Already Courting Patty Mills If NBA Lockout Strikes

Written by wendell maxey | 21 February 2011

Patty Mills is a wanted man these days, especially "down under" where the NBA isn't the only basketball league bracing for a lockout. 

The Adelaide 36ers, of the National Baskteball League in Australia, is already eyeing Portland's reserve point guard. Their basketball operations manager and part-owner Richard Hill recently said the relationship Mills has with coach Marty Clarke - who previously coached Mills in Australia - and his affinity with the city leaves Hills' club well placed to secure Mills' services.

"If he's going to play in Australia we'd be top of his wish list - there's no doubt about that," Hill said in an interview with the Daily Telegraph. "He's got an affinity with the club and the coaches.

"But it's still very early days. We've had casual discussions about it around the club but we certainly haven't spoken to Patty. That would be premature and unprofessional."

While the NBA players association met with the league and owners over All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, no strong progress came from those discussions and David Stern stands by his comments last week that players may do as they wish if a new CBA isn't reached. 

Last month, Mills told Beyond the Beat that he would certainly consider playing overseas if or when an NBA work stoppage became a reality in the league.

"Most importantly, you have to play over that period. You can't afford to sit out and not do anything, because you have to keep playing. That's something I'm going to look at. I don't know where, but to be able to continue that game time over that period is important," offered Mills.

"I guess I have the Europe option, but I'm not ruling out Australia either."

Apparently teams in Australia aren't ruling out Mills' return either.

The Adelaide 36ers boast four championships, which ranks them second behind the Perth Wildcatsas the most by any team in NBL history.