Bet he's regretting leaving the NBL now. Was a stupid decision then and it's a stupid decision now.

Have to disagree Mick, he had to take the opportunity and the money. If they had of looked after him it would have helped his long term career alot. You cant judge that they would screw him like this.
Mills in the SEABL would be interesting..He would hate to have bad stats!!!

How was it better for his career? Had he not taken it he would have an NBA contract right now! The Chinese league is horrible, and we knew that before he went!

Unrelated...great pic of Patty with the Gael's cleebrating their win in Las Vegas...

http://www.smcgaels.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=101619&SPID=12536&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=205393577&DB_OEM_ID=21400

Ricey, I disagree that he would have had an NBA contract right now. He was only ever given a qualifying offer by Portland, making him an unrestricted free-agent. There were never any guarantees for Patty. Plus Portland recruited three point guards in the off-season, so it would have always been tough for him to make that roster.

The best thing for Patty right now is to play somewhere, anywhere, be it the D-League or back here in the SEABL. He needs to get minutes into his legs prior to London. A good showing there will see a couple of NBA teams put contracts on the table for next season.

If he stayed with the Tigers he would not only boost the profile of the NBL in Australia, but the NBA here as well. Both are needed.

He knew what he was getting into going to play in China: a league with low quality of play, no defense and no NBA-out clause.

He can always chase a big pay day elsewhere in Europe or China later, even if he never sets foot in the NBA again. This was his one chance to play in the NBL.

Also, Portland are having immense troubles at the PG slot, with Felton posting career low numbers. Had he stuck it out in the NBL he'd likely be back there before the trade deadline, or at worst be fighting for the fourth playoff spot with Melbourne.

Instead he's stuck with no FIBA release from a crazy Chinese club who hates him.

Also, staying in the NBL would have boosted his profile immensely at home and opened up sponsorship opportunities here for him. I don't think many of you realise it, but no one in the general Aussie public has a clue who Patty Mills is.

Staying a little longer would have allowed him to grow his personal brand.

If he had rejected the China offer he would have got his Portland money as I think it was a guaranteed contract. The he either would have got an NBA roster spot or been able to play in a quality league here or in Europe if he was cut from Portland's roster.

Going to China was a silly decision quite possibly based on greedy advice from those who stood to profit from him signing in China.

Have to agree Paul.

My bet is his agent pressured him into doing it, realising %10 of a meagre NBL contract is peanuts in comparison.

Geez Mick, isn't hindsight a wonderful thing! There was no gurantee about the NBA season happening this season. Patty wasn't the only NBA player that looked at other playing options. Patty is a career Basketball player & at times you do need to look at what options are best for you financially. It's unfair that Patty has to carry the can for promoting the NBL solely!

Patty stood to make a profit from going to China. It would've taken him 10 years to make that much money in the NBL.

Everytime you sign overseas you take a risk.

Whilst it didn't turn out as well as he would've liked, I don't believe Patty did the wrong thing taking the China deal.

I still think that staying Australia would have opened more doors for him with respect to sponsorship and building his personal brand, which in the long term is more viable.

He is a nobody in his home country, in terms of the wider sport-loving public.

Like I said, offers from China and Europe will always be there for the rest of his career, but this opportunity was special because of the NBA lockout.

Unless he had some immediate debt/need for the money, I still think that staying in the NBL would have been better for him, especially for his game (which still needs lots of work). He was finally figuring out how to be a team player and then he bolted to China and not be a chucker...

Hindsight has nothing to do with it, I said it then and I'm saying it now.

He wouldn't of gotten to stay in the NBL even if he didn't go to China. He would've had to report to Blazers training camp once the lockout ended.

He had an offer sheet before lockout, so he had a contract with Portland waiting for him pretty much... So hindsight is that it was always a stupid decision to go to china. Fact is, he got greedy and now he's paying for it. Tough shit I say, no sympathy coming from me. Oh and the lockout was always going to end soon, the league and owners would never allow it to last the season...

Vart: which only proves my point further that it was a mistake. He would have come into Blazers camp full of confidence and possibly the fittest he's been in years.

Why cant he return to Melbourne for the remainder of the season?

Patty will not play SEABL its just a way of showing how much he wants to play ball, silly thinking that you'd see patty play SEABL will never happen all i can say is wait for some movement before the trade deadline should see him back balling soon

Chances are though if he did hold out and did end up with Portland he would have been the 'armon johnson' player cut for the blazers to sign pryzbilla and be in the exact same situation he is now... No nbl, no nba looking to find a gig!

Yes, but without having to sit out basketball for a couple of months after playing a month in a crap league. He would have been over to Portland and either made the roster or been waived, collected his pay cheque and been able to look for anther gig straight away. Chalk and cheese.

my money is on patty signing with the hornets, there in need of a fast paced point guard pattys there man!