Dillon Brooks
Dillon Brooks has quickly become the emotional engine behind a surprising start for the Phoenix Suns, and the veteran wing is not shying away from discussing how his past stops shaped that impact.
During a recent appearance on the “Sports Brothers” podcast, Charles Barkley praised Brooks for transforming expectations around Phoenix this season, AZ Central reports. Barkley pointed to the Suns’ overlooked preseason outlook and credited Brooks for helping flip the narrative.
“Let me tell you something, that boy Dillon Brooks in Phoenix, we were supposed to be in last place in the West,” Barkley said. “That boy Dillon Brooks, man, he got us balling.”
The Suns entered the season facing skepticism across the league. ESPN projected Phoenix near the bottom of the conference, and NBA.com slotted the team outside the top tier in early power rankings. Instead, Phoenix has stayed firmly in the playoff mix, driven in large part by Brooks’ best offensive stretch as a pro and his relentless defensive tone.
A Cultural Reset in Phoenix
Phoenix’s front office spent the offseason reshaping its identity after two disappointing years under owner Mat Ishbia. The organization pivoted away from a star-heavy approach, trading Kevin Durant and waiving Bradley Beal in favor of toughness, accountability, and energy.
Brooks fit that vision immediately. Acquired from the Houston Rockets as part of the Durant deal, Brooks arrived with a reputation for edge and intensity, traits the Suns felt they lacked, ESPN reports.
Ishbia told ESPN that Brooks embodied everything the franchise wanted to become. He highlighted Brooks’ pre-practice work ethic, leadership, and willingness to defend top scorers nightly. Ishbia added that Brooks exceeded expectations from both a cultural and on-court perspective.
That approach has resonated in the locker room. Phoenix has leaned into a blue-collar mindset, and Brooks’ presence has helped define it. The veteran wing is averaging a career-high scoring mark while serving as the tone-setter defensively.
Devin Booker acknowledged that Brooks’ edge can frustrate opponents but strengthens teammates.
“Anybody that matches up with him and gets annoyed by him, you understand already that that’s somebody you would love to be a teammate with,” Booker said. “He guards other teams’ stars, and he brings it every night.”
Brooks Reflects on Houston and Memphis
Brooks’ confidence in Phoenix comes with perspective from his previous stops. Weeks after the trade, Brooks visited Houston’s summer league squad at UNLV, reconnecting with executives and staff. The interaction reflected mutual respect rather than tension.
Brooks said Rockets general manager Rafael Stone initially hoped to keep him as part of Houston’s rebuild. Still, Brooks understood the logic behind moving him for a superstar.
“They wanted to keep me to build more and more to that franchise,” Brooks said. “But overall, when you got a guy like Kevin Durant, you cannot pass up on it.”
Brooks then drew a pointed comparison to his earlier tenure with the Memphis Grizzlies, which ended in 2023. While praising Houston’s stability after the deal, Brooks did not mince words about Memphis’ trajectory.
“They’re doing well,” Brooks said of the Rockets. “They haven’t fell off, like Memphis did.”
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Dillon Brooks says Memphis ‘fell off’ after trading him and credits Houston for remaining relevant
“They wanted to keep me to build more and more to that franchise. But overall, when you got a guy like Kevin Durant, you cannot pass up on it. And they’re doing well. They haven’t
Barkley later likened Brooks to hard-nosed role players from his own career, stressing the importance of teammates who demand effort and accountability.
“You need some guys on your team like that,” Barkley said.
For Phoenix, Brooks has become exactly that voice. The Suns may not dominate headlines, but midway through the season, they have reestablished relevance, with Brooks at the center of that turnaround.