Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks didn't want to leave Houston, but he understands why he had to. After playing a central role in the Rockets' rapid turnaround, Brooks was dealt to the Phoenix Suns in the 2025 offseason as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Durant to Houston. While the move ended a successful two-year run, Brooks made it clear the decision wasn't personal, it was logical.
As ESPN's Tim MacMahon detailed, Brooks took pride in helping rebuild the Rockets and held no resentment about being included in a deal for a Hall of Famer who addressed Houston's biggest need.
“[Rockets general manager Rafael Stone] was telling me the whole time that they didn’t want to have my name in it. 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 fell off – like Memphis did."
From Culture Builder to Career Year
Stone's faith in Brooks dates back to the summer of 2023, when Houston signed him to a four-year, $86 million deal that was widely criticized after his messy exit from Memphis. Instead, Brooks became a tone-setter. Over two seasons, the Rockets surged from 22-60 to 52-30, finishing second in the Western Conference.
Now in Phoenix, Brooks is delivering the best offensive season of his career. The veteran forward is averaging 21.3 points per game while shooting 45.7 percent from the field, 34.6 percent from three, and 84.4 percent from the free-throw line, all career highs. His defense remains his calling card, and the Suns have responded, jumping from 27th to seventh in defensive rating this season.
A Shot at Memphis and a Complicated Legacy
When objectively looking at the team’s production since his departure, Brooks' comments about the Memphis Grizzlies don’t look that far off. Memphis sits at 17-22 and 10th in the West, with the future of their All-Star point guard Ja Morant increasingly uncertain.
Statistically, Brooks has a point. Memphis made the playoffs three times in six seasons with him and only once since his departure. Still, MacMahon noted that Memphis chose not to re-sign Brooks in part because of concerns about his influence.
"Memphis made no attempt to retain Brooks in free agency," MacMahon reported, "because the front office was concerned that his incessant trash talk and inflammatory antics had become a bad influence on the team's young core."
Whether seen as a disruptor or a culture catalyst, Brooks continues to make one thing clear: wherever he goes, teams change and usually for the better.
Newsweek