The Rockets are poised to get former Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Houston will execute a indicator-and-trade offer with Memphis to provide in Brooks on a four-year, $80 million agreement.
Brooks lived up to his “Dillon the Villain” moniker very last year as one of the NBA’s most controversial gamers. He collected 18 specialized fouls very last seasons—second-most in the league powering the Warriors’ Draymond Green—and was fined $25,000 for not talking with the media throughout the Grizzlies’ to start with-spherical playoff sequence against the Lakers. Previously, he was suspended and fined $78,621 in February for hitting the Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell in the groin.
During the postseason, he infamously insulted Lakers star LeBron James, calling him “old” and declaring he was “not at the very same level as he was on Cleveland, Miami-profitable championships.” Los Angeles went on to eradicate Memphis, 4-2, in the opening round with James getting the last chuckle.
Soon soon after the Grizzlies’ time came to an finish, Memphis educated Brooks that he would not be brought back “under any circumstances” in accordance to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Brooks provides a potent defensive existence to a young Rockets team looking for its identity under new head mentor Ime Udoka. Final season, Brooks attained All-NBA Defensive 2nd-group honors. As one particular of the much better defensive wings in the league, he ought to enable Houston straight away. The Rockets rated No. 29 in defense past season and at the really base of the league in the course of the 2021-22 campaign.
Udoka was broadly praised for instilling a solid defense with the Celtics. With a player like Brooks, it could provide as a starting issue to constructing the Rockets’ defensive existence heading into following time.
In the course of the regular year, Brooks averaged 14.3 details although shooting 39.6% from the floor—the worst mark of his career. In the playoff sequence versus Los Angeles, Brooks’s numbers took a hit, as he averaged 10.5 factors though also notching the worst postseason industry-intention shooting (31.2%) of his job.
