The Brooklyn Nets continue to build their small-ball squad for the 2021-22 NBA season by acquiring Paul Millsap, trading DeAndre Jordan for Sekou Doumbouya and signing LaMarcus Aldridge again.

Millsap, 36, has agreed to a one-year deal with the Nets, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic who spoke to Millsap's agent DeAngelo Simmons.

The Nets let Jeff Green go during the offseason partly for financial reasons. Green joined the Denver Nuggets on a two-year, $10-million contract – a number that will lead to a drastic rise in the luxury tax paid by the team.

Compared with Green, Millsap has less to contribute in off-ball offense and pick-and-rill play, but he is a stronger defender and a better rebounder. He will be a decent substitution for Blake Griffin in the team's small-ball roster. Millsap may not be fast enough to defend perimeter players in mismatch but he can still take on giant power forwards or small-ball centers, namely Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Having played 15 seasons in the NBA, Millsap is in the best place to chase his first ring of the career.

Few saw it coming when Aldridge decided to retire from the NBA due to irregular heartbeat in April. Fewer expected him to return and reach a one-year, $2.6-million deal with the Nets – of course, after he was cleared by doctors, according to ESPN which talked to his agent Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports.

"I retired in April based on what I believed was the wisest precautionary decision for my personal health at the time, but further testing and evaluation by several top physicians has convinced the doctors, myself and the Nets that I'm fully cleared and able to return to the rigors of the NBA. I loved my brief time with Brooklyn and am excited to rejoin the team in pursuit of a championship," said Aldridge in a statement to ESPN.

Though Aldridge spent most of his career in the power forward position, he appeared more often in center at the final phase of his career. With his 2.11-meter height and 113-kg weight, Aldridge is fully capable of playing center in today's league.

In the series against the Milwaukee Bucks last season, the Nets had to watch Antetokounmpo wreak havoc on their rim the moment Griffin returned to the bench. Green was not the answer for him and coach Steve Nash's belief in small-ball theory led to his decision of abandoning Jordan.

Now Jordan has officially said goodbye to the Nets as the team sent him, four future second-round draft picks plus $5.78 million to the Detroit Pistons for Doumbouya and Jahlil Okafor. Doumbouya was drafted by the Pistons with the 15th pick in 2019 as a swing forward who averaged 5.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in the last two seasons. Okafor was the third overall selection in 2015 by the Philadelphia 76ers. Many were impressed by his post moves and offensive skills back then, but Okafor's disappointing defense and lack of shooting range discouraged the four teams he previously played for from retaining him.

It's hard to predict the duo's roles in the Nets for the new season. Both of them are likely to begin from the end of the bench and share foul trouble with Griffin, Millsap and Aldridge, if the Nets don't waive the two.

By contrast, it's already confirmed that Jordan will not stay in the Pistons. According to ESPN, he already reached a contract buyout deal with the Pistons, and, after clearing waivers, Jordan will join the Los Angeles Lakers on a one-year contract.

Jordan will become the eighth player landed by the purple and gold with a minimum deal and another piece of puzzle to make the team's giant squad even bigger. It remains unclear if Marc Gasol will stay at Staples Center for the 2021-22 season. Jordan's arrival can make an insurance policy in the paint for the Lakers, in case Dwight Howard falls into foul trouble or Anthony Davis wears himself out in the center position.