Mills, Eubanks Draw Will Hardy’s Praise After Surprise Trade
Feb 1, 2025, 2:05 PM | Updated: Feb 2, 2025, 2:27 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy offered his thoughts after the Utah Jazz officially announced that they had traded Drew Eubanks and Patty Mills to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The two teams agreed to the trade early Saturday morning before completing the deal shortly before the Jazz hosted the Orlando Magic.
Related: Jazz Trade Eubanks, Mills To Clippers For PJ Tucker, Mo Bamba
Jazz Coach Will Hardy Reacts To Drew Eubanks, Patty Mills Trade
Before joining the Jazz, Hardy had worked with both Eubanks and Mills when he was a member of the San Antonio Spurs coaching staff.
With a young Jazz roster, the coach welcomed the two veterans to provide leadership in the locker room.
Related: Jazz Trade Deadline Primer
“Both of those guys are representative of everything that we want to stand for,” Hardy said after the trade.
Eubanks averaged 5.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 37 appearances with the Jazz including four starts, while Mills added 4.4 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 17 appearances with the Jazz off the bench.
The @utahjazz and @LAClippers trade is official. #TakeNote | @kslsports pic.twitter.com/mjMvFMPsps
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) February 1, 2025
“I think both of those guys have an intense work ethic,” Hardy added. “They have the ability to be a part of a group, give themselves to a group. They have enough humility to know that it’s not about them every day.”
Before the season, Hardy praised Mills’s vocal leadership, and his ability to set a strong example for the team’s six first and second-year players on how to carry themselves as professionals.
Related: Patty Mills Enjoys Time With Young Jazz Players
The Jazz coach said that leadership was felt in two ways over the team’s first 46 games of the season.
The trade not only brings the LA Clippers below the luxury tax but gives them optionally at the deadline and buyout market.
The Clippers are now $4M below the tax and have enough flexibility below the first apron.
Tucker, Bamba and Mills are on expiring contracts.
Eubanks has…
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 1, 2025
“The conversations he had with a lot of our young players were impactful on them, but I also think that he modeled behavior that we want to see from everybody,” Hardy said.
“The way he carried himself, the way he was diligent about his work every day, whether he was in the rotation or not, he prepared every single day the same way. And I think that that’s something that his teammates for sure saw.”
Eubanks is under contract this year and next, though his $4.75 million is non-guaranteed for the 2025-26 season.
Mills is on an expiring $2 million deal.
Head Coach Will Hardy mentioned that he did not know what the future held for PJ Tucker and Mo Bamba with the @utahjazz. #takenote | @kslsports
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) February 1, 2025
In exchange for the two, the Jazz received veterans PJ Tucker and Mo Bamba, a future second-round draft pick, and cash considerations.
Both candidates to be bought out, Hardy mentioned he was unsure of the future of Tucker and Bamba in Utah.
When Is The NBA Trade Deadline?
The NBA Trade Deadline is at 1 pm MST on February 6.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
