Patty Mills excited by Atlanta Hawks NBA mission after trade mayhem

Mills completed his first official duties for the Atlanta Hawks this week before the start of training camp on Wednesday as the 15-season veteran prepares to link to Trae Young, Dejounte Murray and Clint Capela.

He has been brought in to add experience and depth to the Hawks after they bombed out in the first round of the playoffs last year and his arrival follows an off season of World Cup disappointment and NRL finals fever.

Mills still had one year left on his deal with the Brooklyn Nets, but after falling out of the rotation he was traded to the Houston Rockets in July. Not long after, he was shifted to Oklahoma City. Four days later he was moved again - this time to the Hawks.

The 35-year-old is still viewed as a valuable role player in the league despite his minutes and games played dropping to their lowest level in a decade after Steve Nash was sacked.

Unfazed by the whirlwind journey or the off-season uncertainty, Mills said he was already comfortable in Atlanta and ready to make an impact.

Asked if he was surprised by the Nets' decision to trade him, Mills said: "It was probably a couple of years there where there were a lot of different things happening and changing.

MORE CANBERRA SPORT

"I don't think I was too surprised. [I'm] more just excited about an opportunity and that's why I think ... I've got a strong motto for me at the moment which is 'be where your feet are'.

"It's being present and understanding you've got to make the most of the opportunities that are in front of you and enjoy it.

"Being here in Atlanta is a great opportunity for me. I've said it many times, I'm thoroughly excited about it."

Mills spent much of his time in Australian in the off-season after the Nets failed to land a blow in the playoffs and were knocked out in the first round.

Canberra junior Mills played just five minutes of the playoff series loss to Philadelphia and suited up to play just three of the last 24 games in the regular season. It meant the writing was on the wall for Mills despite having a year to run on his $10.53 million per-season deal at the Nets.

His job at the Hawks will likely primarily be as a back up to begin with, but it's his off-court influence that might have the biggest impact on the franchise's hopes of being a contender.

"I'm coming into a locker room that is very talented, young and filled with that excitement, that young energy, that juice. That's a great place to start," Mills said.

"You put Trae, Dejounte to be able to lead this thing down the path of success. My role and the other older guys [is to] be able to keep the group together.

"There are going to be a lot of adversities, like there is in every season. But to be able to keep the group together and keep this group in a growth mindset to be able to do something or be in the right position at the end of the season is important.

"Trae and Dejounte are obviously the head of the snake here, so being able to empower them to be the players that they are is very important. We're here to support, keep the group together and enable those guys to lead the team."

Mills has taken the past month off after the Australian Boomers missed out on a medal at the World Cup in Japan. He top scored in the last game against Georgia and has one eye on the Paris Olympic Games next year, but he said national duties wouldn't impact his NBA ambitions.

"I've been playing for my national team for a long time now. I feel a very positive impact on the NBA season because you get to continually play games through the year.

"It does take a lot out of your body and puts extra miles on the body, but at the end of the day, whenever you get an opportunity to step on the floor and playing a meaningful game is really good.

"...If you're saying I'm tired or the body's hurt. Nope, I'm good to go mate."

We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.