It could be argued that former No. 2 overall draft pick Jalen Green was the key prize coming back to the Phoenix Suns in the blockbuster Kevin Durant trade to the Houston Rockets last summer.
The now 24-year-old was coming off back-to-back seasons in Houston starting all 82 regular season games while averaging 19.6 points and 21 points, respectively, in those campaigns.
But Dillon Brooks has proved — emphatically — that Phoenix’s front office was correct to insist on his inclusion in the deal as well, and not solely because Green has experienced an injury-ravaged first season in the desert.
Earlier this year, ESPN credited the Suns’ KD trade among the 10 best NBA deals made since 2025. Zach Kram wrote, “It seemed like Brooks was included in the Rockets' trade for Kevin Durant primarily for salary-matching purposes.”
And while it’s true that Brooks’ inclusion in the trade helped from the financial side of things, it was far from the primary reason why Phoenix wanted “The Villain” in The Valley.
The Suns had actually been trying to acquire Brooks dating back to 2019, when an awkward agreed-upon trade fell through because the Memphis Grizzlies thought Phoenix wanted MarShon Brooks and not Dillon. Whoops. Communication is key, people.
That interest held true last summer, as Brooks wrote in a piece for The Players’ Tribune that his inclusion in the KD trade was imperative from the Suns’ side of things.
Dillon confirms Suns’ KD trade was Brooks or bust
“I had about a week’s notice that Houston was working on a deal to bring in KD, and the word was that Phoenix was only going to do it if I was in the package,” Brooks wrote.
“Right away, that told me something about the franchise.”
According to Brooks, the Suns were only going to pull the trigger on a Durant blockbuster if they finally managed to get (the correct) Brooks in return. Just look how that turned out.
The Canadian flipped the script in The Valley, taking the Suns from a non-playoff team 10 games under .500 to postseason play-in territory. Phoenix went from 28th in the league in defensive rating a season ago to 10th at the time of writing this season.
In any profession, it’s nice to feel wanted. Like your employers see your value, recognize it, and want that energy and effort to be a part of what they’re building.
That message was not lost on Brooks.
“When guys get traded, they always say, ‘This is the perfect fit,’” he wrote. “I’d be bull(expletive) if I said I knew it at the time. But I damn sure know it now. Phoenix is my spot. I want to set the culture here for 20 years. I want to retire a Sun.”
The Suns’ belief in Dillon and a track record of trying to acquire him across multiple front offices shows exactly how they felt he’d impact the franchise for the better.
Now, Brooks is doing everything in his power on the court to prove the organization right.