Report: Rockets adding veteran leader through trade

Shams Charania and Kelly Iko of The Athletic report (Twitter link) that Houston is putting the finishing touches on a trade for sharpshooting Brooklyn Nets veteran combo guard Patty Mills. Exactly what players or assets the Rockets are sending to Brooklyn is unclear as of this posting.

The 6-foot-1 veteran remains a reliable catch-and-shoot option even 14 years into his NBA career. Last season for a playoff-bound Brooklyn team, the 34-year-old Saint Mary’s alum averaged 6.2 PPG (on .411/.366/.833 shooting splits), 1.4 APG and 1.1 RPG across 14.2 MPG, his lowest output since the 2012/13 season.

Mills was a huge bench contributor on two NBA Finals-bound Spurs clubs in 2013 and 2014, winning it all in ’14. A deal for him would mark just the latest move clearly made with an eye towards expediting Houston’s timeline.

The Rockets, a team already loaded with recent lottery picks, have also inked experienced free agents Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and Jock Landale during this free agency period. Houston also signed controversial former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka with an eye toward professionalizing its locker room identity.