'Bad taste in our mouths': Patty Mills' mission to rebuild Brooklyn Nets as NBA contender

The Canberra star is back in the United States after a successful seven-city, 14-day speaking and training tour of Australia earlier this month.

He is preparing for what will be his 14^th NBA season after signing a two-year, $22.35 million extension during the off-season and he's determined to make sure the Nets deliver on their potential.

The Nets won a spot in the playoffs via the play-in tournament last year, but were bundled out in the first round despite boasting Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on a star-studded roster.

It was Mills' first campaign with the Nets after a decade with the San Antonio Spurs and he is seen as a key figure in creating a team culture for the championship pursuit.

Durant has opted to stay for now after agitating for a trade in the off-season, while the much-maligned Ben Simmons is ready to get on the court after an acrimonious end to his time in Philadelphia.

"The reason [I signed a new deal] was the same reason I first came here - the opportunity to be a part of creating a Brooklyn Nets culture," Mills said on the Yes Network at the team's media day on Tuesday.

"But also, still putting in the work to achieve an NBA championship. Having a year under my belt and experiencing all of those things, for me it was unfinished business.

"We've got to keep chipping away at building this thing, to not only create a culture that is strong for us in the present for us to hopefully win an NBA championship, but a long-lasting one too, which [continues] long when we've retired."

Mills initially signed a two-year deal with the Nets when he decided to leave the Spurs last year, but had an option to test the market at the end of the 2021-22 campaign.

MORE CANBERRA SPORT

He did so, but only briefly before recommitting to the Nets on an upgraded contract following an impressive start to his time in Brooklyn.

He began with a flurry, becoming the first player in NBA history to start a season with a perfect 10 from 10 three-point record and earning an All Star weekend call up.

Mills' arrival to link with Durant, Irving and James Harden had many talking them up as a title contender, but they faded late in the season as Harden moved to Philadelphia in return for an injured Simmons.

It culminated in an early playoffs exited, sparked Durant's desire to leave before changing his mind and prompted reports of a divided locker room over Simmons' presence.

"We're here. That's the first step," Mills said.

"What we do have is the guys in the locker room who have been through what we went through last year, and knowing that we're back here for the next year.

"To have a revenge of getting that bad taste out of our mouths. I think the adversities we went through last year, there are things you can learn and grow from those. What position will you put yourself in to make sure that doesn't happen again.

"We have another opportunity to put that in the bank to make sure we don't ever feel that again. It's about bringing meaning and purpose to what we're trying to do here."

Mills enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 29 minutes and 11.4 points per game, as well as starting in 48 of the Nets' 81 games. It was the most he had played in a single season since being drafted to the Portland Trail Blazers in 2009.

The 34-year-old's NBA stocks have risen with each season, and he has become the inspirational leader of the Australian men's team.

"When you understand what you're playing for, who you're playing for and what guys you have in the trenches that you want to go to battle with, it's whatever the team needs," Mills said.

"That's the mindset I had going into last year and [again this year]. It's whatever is needed, whatever is asked of you, go out there and do it. To have the [starting role] for the season, or three-quarters of it, my mindset changed to the team and how we could continue to bring the team closer.

"The decisions you make for that is going to make the team better are the values I've been built on. To bring that here ... to try to trickle that through the group is important."