AP Photo/David Zalubowski
The Brooklyn Nets were already loaded without adding a four-time All-Star to their bench, but that is exactly what they did Thursday.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Paul Millsap agreed to join the Nets after considering the Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers.
That contract will be added to an active roster salary cap of $175.8 million, per Spotrac.
Brooklyn’s roster now includes the following players:
- Kevin Durant
- Kyrie Irving
- James Harden
- Paul Millsap
- Blake Griffin
- DeAndre’ Bembry
- Bruce Brown
- Jevon Carter
- Nicolas Claxton
- Joe Harris
- Mike James
- James Johnson
- Patty Mills
- Tyler Johnson
- DeAndre Jordan
- Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot
- David Duke Jr.
The star power immediately stands out.
Frankly, any team with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden all on the floor together is going to be on the shortlist of realistic championship contenders regardless of who is around them.
However, the Nets had that trio last season and fell short, although Irving was sidelined when they dropped Game 7 of their second-round series against the eventual-champion Milwaukee Bucks.
Perhaps with that in mind, Brooklyn added veteran depth this offseason in the form of Patty Mills and Millsap. Mills is a playoff-tested veteran who won a championship during his time with the San Antonio Spurs, and Millsap is someone who can anchor the frontcourt off the bench for extended stretches during the season.
Millsap has four All-Star selections and a second-team All-Defensive selection (2015-16) on his resume. He has been in the league since the 2006-07 campaign with stops on the Utah Jazz, Atlanta Hawks and Denver Nuggets.
While he is past his prime that included four straight All-Star appearances when he was in Atlanta, he can still extend his game beyond the arc, provide solid interior defense and help control the glass.
The Louisiana Tech product averaged 9.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from deep in 56 games last season.
He, like Mills, is also a playoff-tested option who has appeared in 129 postseason games in his career.
Millsap will surely add to that total this season on the Nets.
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