Jazz G Jordan Clarkson on Patty Mills Joining Roster: 'I Be Fangirling'

It's safe to say the former Sixth Man of the Year loves having Patty Mills in the building.

Sep 30, 2024; Salt Lake City, USA; Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) talks to the media during media day at Zions Bank Basketball Campus. Mandatory Credit: Utah Jazz via Imagn Images / Utah Jazz via Imagn Images

While the Utah Jazz were far from among the most active teams during this offseason's NBA free agency, the front office still ensured to bring a few new faces into the mix ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

Among those new names being brought in, one that's continued to gain some attention of those and the building, along with the fanbase, is long-time NBA veteran Patty Mills, who joins aboard the 15-man roster for his 16th-season pro on a one-year, $3.3 million deal. The addition effectively brings in some necessary experience, veteran leadership, and guard depth that this team has shown they could value.

At this point in his lengthy career as a 36-year-old PG, Mills may not jump off the page as he once did during his time with the San Antonio Spurs, but a few guys on the team have made sure to showcase their love for the Jazz's summer signing-- one of them being longtime Utah guard Jordan Clarkson.

During his Jazz media day availability on Monday, Clarkson gave his thoughts surrounding Mills being on the squad, where he didn't hold back on his feelings for the addition:

"It is [surreal]. He's like a legend to me, like, oh my god. I be fangirling, I ain't going to lie to you! Patty, San Antonio, man? Yeah. Don't tell him I said this though... I be really fangirling... We leave it there."

- Jordan Clarkson on Patty Mills

"I be fangirling... I ain't gon lie to you"

Jordan Clarkson talking about Patty Mills and what it's like to play with him is incredible pic.twitter.com/rmGYfpoA2K

— Jazz Lead (@JazzLead) October 2, 2024

Mills is coming off of his most recent season spending time with both the Atlanta Hawks and the Miami Heat, averaging a collective 4.0 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in a limited 13 minutes a night.

Looking ahead, Mills's on-floor production may not see a drastic shift in either direction for the season ahead, but within a young locker room searching for leaders and steps toward development, a challenged vet like the 2015 NBA champion guard is a great figure to have in the building, and Clarkson seems to totally agree.

At close to 900 games played in the league since his debut in 2010, that extensive experience places Mills among the top 30 active players in the league for total game appearances. The Jazz haven't had this level of experience on the roster since the tenure of Rudy Gay and Mike Conley in 2022, and bringing that back on board should be extremely valuable for the culture Utah is attempting to build in-house moving forward.

Mills, Clarkson, and the rest of the Jazz will soon be hitting the floor once again as preseason looms around the corner, as the NBL's New Zealand Breakers are set to travel to Salt Lake City on October 5th for Utah's preliminary opener.

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