Dillon Brooks in a Phoenix Suns jersey looking hyped at the center of the image. To his left is Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott smiling. To Brooks's right is Devin Booker in a Phoenix Suns jersey, also smiling. The background is the Suns practice facility.
Dillon Brooks in a Phoenix Suns jersey looking hyped at the center of the image. To his left is Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott smiling. To Brooks's right is Devin Booker in a Phoenix Suns jersey, also smiling. The background is the Suns practice facility.
The Phoenix Suns had continuity at the top of their offseason list, and one of the biggest pieces of that was Dillon Brooks. There were pending rumors about whether he would receive a contract extension before the 2026-27 season began.
If not, he would be on a one-year deal and then hit unrestricted free agency. Although he has called Phoenix his home, money talks, and it spoke loudly when Brooks and the Suns agreed on a $73 million extension.
To some, it might be a reach, but his gravity on respective franchises cannot be denied. He helped build a gritty culture in Memphis before being shipped to the Houston Rockets.
Eventually, he helped turn them from being arguably the worst team in the league to the No. 2 seed in just his second season. Once Brooks was sent to Phoenix as part of the Kevin Durant trade, he could turn around yet one more team.
On a team with Devin Booker and Jalen Green, they were poised to make some noise. But they put an emphatic stamp on the league.
Following a swift first-round exit, everyone agreed that Brooks helped redefine the Suns' culture. Not just the trash talk and those antics, but his on-court production. And it's part of that lucrative deal.
Dillon Brooks's contract was only a matter of time
Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) celebrates a shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second half during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center.
Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) celebrates a shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second half during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center.
Most believed that Phoenix would re-sign its wing after his career season. But it wasn't even in the regular season that caught the general public's attention: it was in the playoffs.
Many didn't expect the Suns to make the playoffs, until they did. The estimated 36-win total was smashed, and they hit 44 wins, eventually skating in as the No. 8 seed.
His 20.2-point scoring average in the regular season jumped to 26.0 points in the playoffs while shooting 45% from the field and 43% from deep. He was the team's leading scorer, to much surprise.
Yes, the scoring was impressive, but it was that relentless mindset. Did Phoenix truly have a chance against Oklahoma City? Probably not, but Brooks kept them in all four games of the series.
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It was the ideal cherry on top for the start of a new chapter, and for him, hopefully a lasting one.
The Suns want Dillon Brooks for the long haul
From a basketball sense, Brooks's game is ideal for longevity. He's not overly athletic and doesn't rely on that athleticism. Instead, it's the mental game, using his strength, and perhaps an irrational confidence that led to a career-season.
The pressure of the moment would make people shy away, but not Brooks. He embraces it, and his teammates have immediately followed suit.
He also mentioned the dynamic between him and Booker, and how their respective roles are opposites but simultaneously work. That relationship blossomed, and turned from competitors to sharing the court to showing up in support of endeavors outside of basketball.
Developing that chemistry and synergy with the franchise player certainly helps, but so does what his other teammates believe. Guys like Collin Gillespie have shared stories on Brooks's intensity, even citing picking up technical fouls in a scrimmage before the season began.
For a team that lost its flavor once Bradley Beal and Durant left town, Brooks helped remind the league, and the Suns, about what they can be.
Everyone saw what they did in his first year. Now, it's about building on that and defying those expectations, something he understands all too well.