After their collapse in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the Memphis Grizzlies have made it clear that they will not bring back Dillon Brooks under any circumstances. This comes after Brooks molded himself into being the next villain of the league. This included getting into multiple scuffles, finishing second in the league in technical fouls, and “poking the bear” in the first round of the playoffs. The Grizzlies have made it clear that Brooks’ antics are not worth his on-the-court production, however, there are three teams that may be willing to take a risk on him and give him a contract this offseason.
1. Dallas Mavericks
After acquiring Kyrie Irving at the trade deadline, many believed that the Dallas Mavericks had a chance to make some noise in the NBA playoffs. However, they would go on to plummet in the standings and would not even make the play-in tournament.
This mostly occurred as a result of the lack of defense on the team. Their two stars, Irving and Luka Doncic are both known for not being the best performers on the defensive end, however, they are two of the top scorers in the league. It is essential that in the offseason, the team builds the team around them to better aid their weaknesses.
Brooks would be a very solid addition to this roster. Although he would not do much for them on the offensive end, that is not necessary. His role would be to shut down the opposing team’s top-scoring guard or wing, and this could be a role that he thrives in. However, Brooks’ personality could be a major cause not to add him to Dallas. As previously mentioned, Brooks ranked second in the league in technical fouls. Only one spot behind him was Luka Doncic with just one fewer tech.
2. Golden State Warriors
Another team that could take a chance on Brooks is the Golden State Warriors. Playing alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson makes life much easier for everyone else on the offensive end. There are few offenses in the history of the league in which role players are given more wide-open shots.
Early on in his career, Brooks was a very talented shooter from outside and it appeared that he would progress into a very solid three-and-d player. However, as his NBA career has continued, his three-point percentage has continued to plummet.
Playing with Golden State could give him a chance to learn from Curry and Thompson, and could have a career year from beyond the arc. Along with this, he could serve as another elite perimeter defender that would allow the Warriors to hide Curry on the defensive end.
Once again, there would be some questions about signing Brooks in terms of his character. Assuming that the Warriors find a way to retain Draymond Green and sign Brooks, they would have the players with the most and second-most technical fouls last season. This would be a lot of free points and possessions given up that teams cannot afford in the playoffs. Along with this, Green and Brooks, both have very big personalities and are known for not backing down from anything. This could potentially even lead to a physical altercation between the two, and that is never a good thing for team chemistry.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
The final team that may sign Dillon Brooks in free agency is the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs are coming off of a first-round exit in which they were bullied by the New York Knicks. While Cleveland was the better team on paper, they were pushed around and relentlessly outrebounded by New York.
Brooks would be a player that would bring some fire to the team that is clearly missing. Along with this, Cleveland is in dire need of a true three-and-d wing. Caris LeVert has proven to be too inconsistent, and Isaac Okoro still has not improved his outside shot to where it needs to be. If Brooks could find a way to bring his three-point percentage back to the 35-37% range that he did in 2017-2020, he could be a very valuable addition to the Cavs.
Once again, some of his past antics may cause the Cavs to pass on him as well. Earlier on in the regular season, Brooks took a cheap shot at Donovan Mitchell’s crotch area as the Cavs guard went up for a layup attempt. This prompted Mitchell to launch the ball at Brooks and a fight began that left both players ejected. If this is a grudge that the team’s star player still holds, there is little to no chance that Cleveland would bring him in.
