AUS - Mills commits to Boomers amid NBA lockout
SYDNEY (FIBA Oceania Championship) - Patrick Mills has committed to playing for Australia this summer but the ongoing fall-out from the NBA lockout will mean Andrew Bogut and David Andersen are both missing from the Boomers squad. Mills is affected more than most by the NBA stoppage, as his contract with the Portland Trail Blazers has just finished and ...
SYDNEY (FIBA Oceania Championship) - Patrick Mills has committed to playing for Australia this summer but the ongoing fall-out from the NBA lockout will mean Andrew Bogut and David Andersen are both missing from the Boomers squad.
Mills is affected more than most by the NBA stoppage, as his contract with the Portland Trail Blazers has just finished and he cannot now seek a new team in North America until the situation is resolved.
Instead, the 22-year-old revealed he is considering a return home to play in the NBL next season.
However, not having a contract does mean Mills is free to decide for himself whether to play for Australia in their Olympic qualifying series against New Zealand, with no insurance issues to worry about.
''Being a free agent I haven't actually signed with a team for next season, but I will definitely play for the Boomers in September,'' he said in the Sydney Morning Herald.
''The most important thing for me is to find somewhere to play. Right now there is no rush in making a decision - it will come over the next couple of months. Portland have offered me a qualifying contract which is the same position I have been in the last couple of years.''
But while Mills will be there, Basketball Australia have been unable to find a way to insure Bogut's $60million contract, ruling him out. Andersen, meanwhile, has chosen to leave the US and join Montepaschi Siena in Italy, and he will not play either.
''We would rather also have Andrew Bogut and David Andersen on the team, but the way things go they have not been able to join us.'' Mills added.''The New Zealand series is always a tough one. Lucky for us the games are all in Australia - but you never know.''
Australia will face New Zealand in Melbourne on September 7, Brisbane on September 9 and Sydney on September 11.
Meanwhile, all signs point towards Argentina's NBA players suiting up for the FIBA Americas Tournament.
Manu Ginobili, Luis Scola, Andres Nocioni and Carlos Delfino have all been named in the preliminary squad for the tournament and have begun training.
FIBA