Mills (shoulder) has been cleared to resume playing, but coach Gregg Popovich said he wouldn't suit up Thursday against the Thunder and could still be held out for several more games, the San Antonio Express-News reports.

Popovich said that he'll take a conservative approach with working Mills back into the fold, as the team is determined not to rush him back too quickly and potentially aggravate the shoulder injury. Mills figures to resume practicing in full with the Spurs, but only Popovich will determine when his return occurs, which could be as soon as Friday's game against the Pelicans or as late as a couple weeks from now. In any event, it's huge news that Mills' return at least seems to be in the offing, as it was initially feared that he could be out until deep into the second half when he first required rotator cuff surgery in July.

Mills (shoulder) claims he's about half-way through is recovery time period, and is trying to return sometime around January, the San Antonio Express-News reports.

Mills tore the rotator cuff in his right shoulder last season and had surgery to repair it in July. The injury originally had a six month recovery timetable, so January sounds like a reasonable return month. The Spurs won't rush him back though, so there's always the possibility it may be after January. As soon as he's back, the energetic reserve should resume his role behind Tony Parker as the top backup point guard. Mills had a breakout season last year, and was poised to have an opportunity at a larger role (and contract) with another team, but with the injury, he'll have to prove himself once again as soon as he's healthy.

Patty Mills had successful surgery on his torn right rotator cuff on Thursday.

He has no timetable to return, but Mills did get a three-year deal on Thursday to make him feel a little better. The Spurs should have him ready to go for the season and he'll continue to pick up a lot of the scoring slack on the second unit with Manu Ginobili.

The Spurs and Patty Mills have agreed on a three-year deal, according to the San Antonio Express News.

He had an awesome postseason run and may have had a bigger role on another team, but the Spurs will keep him on their bench. Mills doesn't really start too often even when Tony Parker sits out because of Cory Joseph, but he's been a decent per-minute guy for fantasy production. He'll be worth a late-round flier in deeper leagues.

Free agent Patty Mills will withdraw from Australia's world cup and will need about seven months to recover from a shoulder injury, that requires surgery.

Mills will soon have surgery to repair the rotator cuff in his right shoulder and will need seven months to recover, meaning he could miss at least the first three or four months of the upcoming NBA season. He played through the pain during the season and playoffs, but will go under the knife in upcoming days. He'll still be a hot commodity in free agency, but not nearly as hot as he would have been were he entering the season healthy.

The Knicks are interested in unrestricted free agent Patty Mills, according to reports.

The Knicks are looking to use their mini mid-level exception to sign a free-agent starting point guard and Mills has emerged as a candidate after his strong showing in the NBA Finals. Mills averaged 10.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists this season and would reportedly be interested in playing in New York as he would be able to play starters minutes. "New York is definitely a city Mills would want to play in,'' a source said. "He has that personality.'' Mills could be an interesting fantasy options based on sheer minutes if he signs with the Knicks and could make for a solid later-round pick if this rumor becomes reality.

Patty Mills gave the Spurs a huge lift on Sunday, pouring in 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting with five 3-pointers and two assists in just 18 minutes off the bench.

Mills also showed a knack for flopping, drawing a few unjust offensive fouls against the Heat, but his outside shooting was a dagger in the second half. His minimum-salary contract expires this summer and he undoubtedly earned himself some cash with his playoff performance, complicating his decision to return with the Spurs or chase more money elsewhere.

Patty Mills spent a lot of time during the offseason in the gym working on his game, and as a result, he has become an important piece to the Spurs puzzle.

"When [Mills] came to camp this year all trim and very aggressive, very focused, he made us notice him," Gregg Popovich said. "Then as the games came and went and he played more and more minutes, I think he gained a confidence, and we gained a confidence in him to the point where sometimes he's out there, and I leave Tony [Parker] too long." Mills has been a pleasant surprise this season, and a championship this year would give a Hollywood ending to the documentary currently being made on the Australian born product.

Patty Mills scored an efficient 14 points in 16 minutes vs. the Heat on Thursday, adding one rebound, two assists and four 3-pointers.

He scored just 20 points combined in the previous four games and just went Vinnie "Microwave" Johnson off the bench tonight. Mills has answered the call throughout the season and actually ranked 10th in the NBA for effective field goal percentage in the regular season, so this isn't a surprise. The Spurs depth has been a tremendous advantage.

Patty Mills will not play against the Rockets on Monday due to rest.

He's had a great season and this will be his first DNP. Mills has shot the ball extremely well from deep, making 42.5 percent from that range for 1.7 triples. He'll likely be back for Wednesday.

Patty Mills caught fire against the Mavericks in the starting lineup on Thursday, scoring a game-high 26 points with two boards, six assists, two steals and six 3-pointers.

He's making 3-pointers like they're layups these days, shooting 17-of-27 (62.9 percent) over his last six games. Mills played a season-high 36 minutes tonight and the Spurs could ask Mills to get some extra run down the stretch. He looks like a must-own player in fantasy leagues in the last week.

Patty Mills started ahead of Cory Joseph for the Spurs on Thursday.

Tony Parker (back) remains sidelined and Gregg Popovich decided to tweak his lineups at the last moment. Mills and Joseph typically split minutes in Parker's absence anyway, with Mills providing more fantasy upside, so this shouldn't have a dramatic impact on their values.

Patty Mills scored 21 points off the bench during Thursday's 106-94 loss to the Thunder, adding six boards, one assist, one steal and five 3-pointers.

The Spurs had their 19-game winning streak snapped tonight and are now 0-4 against OKC on the season. Mills continues to step up when coach Gregg Popovich rests guys and tonight was no different with Manu Ginobili resting. He's a sneaky player to own in standard leagues for his output in triples.

Patty Mills scored 15 points with three boards, three assists, three steals, one block and three 3-pointers in 23 minutes.

He always has a high usage rate in games which Tony Parker (Achilles) sits out and that didn't change tonight. Parker should be back in the lineup on Wednesday, so prospective fantasy owners of Mills shouldn't use this line to make any crucial lineup decisions.

Patty Mills got hot off the bench on Tuesday during a win over the Cavs with 16 points, three boards, five assists, two steals and four 3-pointers.

While Tony Parker going down hurt the Spurs a little in the standings, the time off allowed Patty Mills to really develop his game. He's not shy about taking shots and had 10.2 shots per game in his last five to go with averages of 9.6 points, 3.6 boards, 2.2 assists , 0.6 steals and 1.4 triples. He's still not worth owning in standard leagues while Parker is healthy.

Patty Mills came off the bench and played 21 minutes, finishing with 11 points, three rebounds, two assists and a 3-pointer on 5-of-10 shooting.

Mills had just four points in his last game, mainly because he hit just 2-of-14 shots, but played a little better tonight. The 21 minutes are a little disappointing, but as long as Tony Parker (back/rest) remains out, Mills is still worth using in most leagues. Prior to his two-game drought, Mills was hot, scoring between 23 and 29 points in four of seven games. Cory Joseph started and played 25 minutes, but finished with 11 points and zero assists. Mills is still the guy to own while Parker is out.

Patty Mills scored 24 of his 29 points in the second half on Wednesday, finishing with three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a 3-pointer in a tough win over the Blazers.

Mills is on fire right now, as Tony Parker sits with a back injury, and has scored 25 or more points in three of his last four games, including a season-high 32 points a week ago Saturday. Over his last five, which includes a six-point game when he dinged up his ankle, Mills is averaging 21.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.0 3-pointers. Parker will eventually be back from his back injury, but Gregg Popovich may see fit to limit his minutes with Mills playing so well. It's hard to say how long this run will last, but you might as well pick him up and plug him in while he's hot.

Patty Mills stayed hot on Tuesday with Tony Parker in street clothes and had 25 points, five rebounds, five assists, a block and two 3-pointers on 9-of-15 shooting in 27 minutes off the bench.

With the news that Tony Parker could miss several more games with general soreness, Mills should keep it going. And he's officially hot, averaging 19.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.2 3-pointers over his last five games.

Patty Mills played through his sprained ankle on Wednesday and hit 6-of-13 shots and three 3-pointers for 16 points and two steals in 20 minutes off the bench.

Tony Parker was out and any time that's the case, Mills is a good bet for some solid production. Cory Joseph got the start tonight and also played well, but once Parker's back, both guards will be too inconsistent for most fantasy rosters.

Patty Mills suffered a sprained ankle against the Pistons on Monday, playing just 14 minutes for six points with one board, one assist and one turnover.

He shrugged off his injury after the game and said he expects to play on Wednesday. Mills could be a key piece of their offense with Tony Parker a possible candidate to sit. However, Parker sitting is more speculation than anything else, so there's really no need to add Mills based on that for now.