Perth Wildcats Prepare Formal Play for Patty Mills
The perth wildcats are preparing to make a formal play to sign Patty Mills as a marquee signing, putting themselves into the race for one of Australia’s biggest basketball names. Brisbane Bullets interest has cooled in recent weeks, and Perth have emerged as a genuine contender to land the 37-year-old guard.
Patty Mills and Perth
Mills is currently playing for La Laguna Tenerife in Spain, where he has averaged 17.7 points across his opening appearances. He is also weighing whether to continue in Europe or head back to the NBL, where a return would be his first appearance in the competition since 2011.
The Perth move is the clearest sign yet that a return to Australia is being treated as a live option. Mills last played in the NBL for the Melbourne Tigers in 2011 before leaving for a lucrative stint in China, and his profile has only grown since then through 16 NBA seasons and five Olympic campaigns with the Australian Boomers.
Brisbane Bullets Talks
Brisbane had already done the early work, with discussions between the Bullets and Mills’ representatives about a possible return cooling in recent weeks. That leaves Perth in position to push ahead, and the timing matters because Mills is expected to command upwards of $1.2 million in the NBL.
That figure is large by league standards, but the move back to Australia would not represent a major sacrifice financially. It also fits a wider pattern for Perth, a club with a record of making bold roster moves and building a previous dynasty around Bryce Cotton.
NBL Contender Status
Any NBL team that lands Mills would instantly move into contender status, and that is the level of impact Perth are chasing with a formal approach. Mills is still viewed as a player capable of being one of the league’s best, which is why this pursuit sits well beyond a standard recruitment pitch.
For Perth, the choice is straightforward: make the offer and test whether Mills wants a return to the NBL now, or watch another club secure a player who could change the balance of the competition. Mills, meanwhile, is balancing that decision against his current European season and his push for future tournaments including the FIBA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
