Dillon Brooks signed a 4-year, $80 million contract with the Houston Rockets earlier this month, cashing in on his free agency status. But there were other franchises that showed interest in the polarizing small forward, one of which included a team that Brooks had a recent, messy history with.
Dillon Brooks Had Interest From Lakers, Mavericks
Report: Dillon Brooks met with Lakers, had interest from Bucks and Mavericks before joining Rockets https://t.co/dTYEtcn84D
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) July 17, 2023
Multiple members of last season’s Memphis Grizzlies roster spent time in the headlines, and for different reasons. For Brooks, it was often his trash talk. It seemed like every other day that he’d be making waves with his comments about opponents in front of the cameras and his antics on the court. Things culminated in the playoffs, when Brooks called LeBron James “old” and said that he “poked bears”.
The Grizzlies were handled easily the rest of the series.
But according to a report from Kelly Iko of The Athletic, Los Angeles actually had interest in bringing Dillon Brooks in this summer. Despite their impressive run through the playoffs, the Lakers came up short in the Western Conference Finals, getting swept by the Denver Nuggets in embarrassing fashion.
There is no doubt that they are looking to re-tool, given the advancing age of James and the closing championship window. Brooks was apparently one of the players that they looked in to acquiring, but the Lakers’ salary cap situation ultimately didn’t allow a union to take place.
Bucks Were Also Interested Given Middleton’s Situation
Dillon Brooks believes he’s going to be more efficient playing next to a point guard like Fred VanVleet, per @KellyIko
“When I spoke to Brooks in Las Vegas last week, one thing he noted was the impact the former Raptors point guard would have on his offensive efficiency, an… pic.twitter.com/6RCqiF44AI
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) July 17, 2023
The Lakers weren’t the only other team interested, according to Iko. The Dallas Mavericks were said to be seriously in the mix, and the Milwaukee Bucks were keeping an eye on the situation in the event that Khris Middleton skipped town.
While his performance in the playoffs last year was poor (especially given the amount of trash talk), Dillon Brooks can be a valuable commodity for the right team. He spent the last 6 years starting for a Grizzlies team that was often a contender, and is just one year removed from averaging 18 points per game. He is also often tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best player.
Brooks received a hefty pay day, but the $22 million that he’ll earn in 2023-24, a long way from being the highest figure on the team. The Rockets will be paying Fred VanVleet north of $40 million this coming season.
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