Ssssss-h: Patty 'Rumour Mills' searching for Strait answer

• Australian point guard Patty Mills is out of contract heading into the 2025-26 NBA season
• Speculation mounts the soon-to-be-girl-dad is considering a return to the NBL
• Former Australian basketball star Chris Anstey posted a less-than-cryptic tweet with a snake emoji

Former NBA player and NBL star Chris Anstey has set the social media rumour mill on fire with a less than cryptic post about Australian basketball star Patty Mills to the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Anstey, 50, wrote: "Patty Mills 🐍 👀 Amazing if true!"

There aren't any "snakes" in the NBA but there is a club in the National Basketball League by the name of the Cairns Taipans.

Mills, 37, is a free agent and is out of contract after the Los Angeles Clippers were eliminated from the 2025 NBA Playoffs earlier this month and speculation "FIBA Patty" could be on his way back has mounted since.

The Australian Boomers point guard was linked to the Perth Wildcats, who are now searching for a replacement for five-time MVP Bryce Cotton.

But Wildcats boss Mark Arena told NBL Now: "We were as confused as you are around the story about confirming that we were in talks with with Patty Mills.

"(I) was super surprised about that, I mean, I'll just say that like any any high profile you know great Australian or Kiwi basketballer playing around the world is on the radar of every single team in the NBL and so you know that's part of our role.

"I would love, and I'll probably speak for every other club owner, would love to have Patty Mills in the NBL at some point playing for their team, obviously we're no exception to that.

"But you gotta look at he's in the NBA right now, he's got his first child due in August, he's living in California. Is it realistic for him to end up in the NBA and on an NBL team next season I'm not sure.

"I guess we'll find out."

When Patty and wife Alyssa announced their pregnancy the couple also revealed their desire to share Mills’ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage with their daughter.

“Everything that I got taught as a young boy growing up in the Torres Strait, whether it was dancing or songs or making stuff in the kitchen, Alyssa has been taught by all the aunties, has been handed down to her,” Patty said of his wife in a Sports Illustrated interview.

“An island way of life is very much a part of her life now.”

The prospect of Mills joining the Taipans is intriguing given the club is trying to privatise. and the closest NBL club to the Torres Strait ... is Cairns.

Taipans president Troy Stone revealed just how close they are to taking one of the biggest steps in the history of the NBL club

"I believe the Taipans will still be around in five years if there’s no private ownership, but it’s going to get harder and harder every season to remain competitive without taking that step," Stone said.

"The sooner the better."

NBA champion Mills, in his 15-year career, has earned more than AUD $100M.

Mills played one year in the NBL in 2011 after being drafted by the San Antonio Spurs with the 55th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.

He won his only NBA title with the Spurs in 2014. Mills is a 3-time Gaze Medalist (2008, 2010, 2021) and won a bronze medal with the Australian Boomers at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Undoubtedly, there is MORE TO COME on whether Mills will finish his storied career in Australia.