Terry Mills

Michigan and Detroit Pistons power forward who contributed reliably across 10 NBA seasons.

Terry Lee Mills was born in Romulus, Michigan in 1967. He attended the University of Michigan alongside Glen Rice on the 1989 national championship team. New Jersey Nets selected him in the second round of the 1990 NBA Draft. His 10-season career produced 8.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game across seven franchises. He was notable as one of the earliest power forwards to embrace the three-point shot as a primary offensive tool — an approach considered unusual and even counterproductive by coaches of his era that became the central strategy of big man play a decade later. His Detroit Pistons years produced his most consistent professional production. He was part of the generation of forwards whose willingness to shoot from range laid the groundwork for the stretch four role that became universally valued in the 2010s and 2020s.

Floor-spacing big man with reliable three-point shot

Versatile big man who helped popularize stretch-four position

• Big Ten champion (Michigan)
• Pistons contributors era
• Three-point shooting big