Longtime NBA guard Patty Mills has been hired by the University of Hawai’i as the general manager of the men’s basketball program, according to a press release from the school.
It’s a newly created role, according to the press release, in which Mills will “support student-athlete mentorship and development, while contributing to key areas including recruiting, fundraising, and community engagement.”
A native of Australia, Mills didn’t play his college ball for the Rainbow Warriors, having instead attended Saint Mary’s from 2007-09. However, he has lived in Hawai’i during the offseason for the past decade and sponsored the 2022 North Shore Classic, a local four-team tournament that was won by the University of Hawai’i.
“I’m deeply honored to join the University of Hawai’i basketball program as the new general manager.” Mills said in a statement. “This role is not only a professional milestone, but a personal one as well. Despite being from different parts of the Pacific region, as someone from the Torres Strait Islands, I feel a strong cultural connection to Hawai’i—our communities share deep respect and spiritual connection to the land, sea and sky and the strength of family and tradition.”
Mills’ new job doesn’t necessarily mean he’s retiring as an NBA player. Today’s press release refers to him as a “current member” of the Clippers, and we’ve seen several other active NBA players take on roles with colleges in recent months, including Stephen Curry becoming the assistant GM at Davidson, Trae Young being named the assistant GM at Oklahoma, and Terance Mann joining Florida State as their assistant GM.
It’s unclear whether Mills’ new GM position will be more intensive than those AGM roles, but until he formally announces his retirement, it would be premature to assume he’s calling it a career, even if his on-court role has declined significantly in recent years. After averaging just 13.0 minutes per game in 32 appearances for Atlanta and Miami in 2023/24, the 16-year veteran saw action in 29 contests for the Jazz and Clippers this past season, averaging 3.8 points and 0.9 assists in 11.1 minutes per night.
Mills will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and will turn 37 in August.