Trail Blazers draft pick Patty Mills breaks foot, won’t play in summer league

By AP
Friday, July 10, 2009

Blazers draft pick Mills breaks foot

PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland Trail Blazers draft pick Patty Mills broke his right foot during practice and won’t play in the NBA’s summer league.

The Blazers said Friday that Mills fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot during practice Thursday night. He will have surgery on his foot on Monday, the team announced.

A timetable for the point guard’s return has not been determined.

“You never want to see a player get injured, but it is especially heart wrenching to see a young man go down on his first day of camp,” Portland general manager Kevin Pritchard said. “We’ll do everything we can to help Patty get back on track to realize his NBA future.”

After starring for Australia in the Beijing Olympics and for Saint Mary’s in college, Mills was selected by the Blazers with the 55th overall pick in the NBA draft last month.

The 6-foot, 175-pound Mills averaged career highs of 18.7 points, 4.0 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 2.5 steals during his sophomore season with the Gaels before deciding to turn pro.

Thursday was Portland’s first day of practice for the summer league, which starts Friday in Las Vegas. The Blazers open play Monday against Toronto.

The Blazers’ roster for the summer league includes second-year guard Jerryd Bayless and draft picks Jeff Pendergraph and Dante Cunningham.

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