Brooklyn Nets adding Patty Mills, retaining Bruce Brown, agents say

The Brooklyn Nets are adding free-agent guard Patty Mills and are retaining restricted free-agent guard Bruce Brown, who is signing his qualifying offer.

Mills has agreed to a two-year, $12 million deal with the Nets, his agent, Steven Heumann of CAA Basketball, told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal includes a player option.

Brown, meanwhile, is signing his one-year qualifying offer of $4.7 million to return to the Nets, his agent, Ty Sullivan of CAA Basketball, told Wojnarowski.

Brown can become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

The Nets also agreed to a one-year deal with free agent James Johnson, his agent, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, told Wojnarowski.

Mills, 32, finished his 10th season with the San Antonio Spurs in 2020-21 after spending his first two NBA seasons in Portland. Since joining the Spurs, Mills has thrived under Gregg Popovich in a bench role and in more recent years as an important veteran presence off the bench.

Mills averaged 10.8 points per game last season. He's been a consistent threat in the past four seasons, averaging 10.5 points during that span.

In 2020-21, Mills hit a career-high 161 3-pointers, and he's hit at least 150 3s in each of the past four years.

The Australian is currently leading his national team at the Tokyo Olympics.

A second-round pick acquired in a deal with the Detroit Pistons before last season, Brown played a crucial role for the star-studded Nets as someone who helped fill in all the gaps.

Brown, who turns 25 later this month, is listed as a 6-foot-4 guard but started 37 games at small forward and was frequently used as a screen-and-roller on offense.

Brown thrived in this role, averaging 8.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists while shooting 55.6% from the field.

Johnson, 34, averaged 7.2 points and 3.5 rebounds in 51 games last season for the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans.

ESPN's Andrew Lopez contributed to this report.