REPORT: NBL icon links Mills to Bullets

As the talk of Patty Mills returning to the NBL continues, Australia's greatest-ever player believes it looks closer than ever.

Seven-time NBL MVP Andrew Gaze believes that Mills, who played games for Melbourne during the 2009-10 season, has selected a team for the 2026-27 season.

“A little birdie has given me some information and it's that Patty Mills, who’s currently playing in Spain because he never got picked up in the NBA, next year he will be returning to the NBL [next year],” Gaze said on SEN’s The Run Home with Andy and Gazey.

“That birdie, who is a reliable source, said that he'll be playing for the Brisbane Bullets next season.

“[Of all the teams] the Brisbane Bullets seem to be the hottest [on Mills].”

This contradicts the report by ESPN’s Olgun Uluc about Mills and the Bullets.

“From what I was told, the Brisbane Bullets early in the piece made an offer to Patty Mills,” Uluc said on The Marketplace, presented by Paywise.

“That has since been declined, and there is no more interest between either of those two parties.”

Uluc and NBL’s Pete Hooley also discussed that the Perth Wildcats had an interest in the 1020-game NBA veteran.

“For the first time in a really long time, I've heard that Patty Mills is open to coming to the NBL,” Uluc said.

“The Perth Wildcats are a team that has discussed Patty's name internally.

“They've thought about the idea of bringing Patty Mills into the mix, and I think they're preparing to reach out, show some interest in Patty Mills and see what he would look like as a Perth Wildcat.”

Mills, who helped the Australian Boomers win the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is currently playing for La Laguna Tenerife in Spain’s La Liga ACB.

The Bullets have Sam McDaniel Tyrell Harrison, Jacob Holt, Mitch Norton, Tristan Devers and Taine Murray under contract next season.