NBA veteran Paul Millsap agrees to sign with Nets; chooses Brooklyn over Clippers, Warriors, Bulls, per report

After considering other playoff-contending teams, free agent power forward Paul Millsap is signing with the Brooklyn Nets, his agent tells The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The 35-year-old spent the last four seasons with the Denver Nuggets, but the team decided it wouldn’t bring him back after his contract was up, allowing him to choose where he played next.

Millsap reportedly considered the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls before going with the Nets, a decision likely made in part to having higher championship odds to win in Brooklyn. Adding Millsap gives the Nets more depth in the frontcourt, and as a team that was hampered with injuries throughout its roster in the regular season and postseason, having as much depth as possible is a necessity.

Although Millsap averaged just nine points — his lowest mark since his second year in the league — and a career-low 4.7 boards with the Nuggets last season, those are actually respectable numbers from someone coming off the bench. If he can average those numbers with the potential to go off for 16 or even 20 points on some nights, that would be a huge win for Brooklyn.

After a second-round playoff exit at the hands of the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks, the Nets enter the 2021-22 season with an incredible amount of pressure and expectations. All three of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving are expected to be at full health, and if injuries don’t derail their plans, the Nets should be the odds-on favorite to win the title next season. 

The Nets spent the offseason retooling by adding guard Patty Mills after losing Spencer Dinwiddie to the Washington Wizards, and acquiring other role players like Jevon Carter, DeAndre’ Bembry and James Johnson. With the addition of Millsap, the Nets should field another deep team to help them accomplish their goal of winning a championship.