Dillon Brooks has absolutely nothing to prove to the Phoenix Suns, yet, despite a career year with the franchise, he is still being slept on throughout the league. That lands him at number seven on the list of Suns with the most to prove in 2026-27.
Brooks must become All-Star to cross into mainstream
It is hard to know what else a guy who averaged a career-high 20.2 points and cared about every regular season matchup needs to do to get more love from the wider community, but a first All-Star berth feels like the solution. He was on the bubble last time out, and he now has the extra incentive of the midseason exhibition taking place in Phoenix in 2027.
Brooks rightfully has a reputation throughout the league of being an antagonizer, and has been around so long that he’s got imitators coming into the league and taking shots at him to make a name for themselves. But if you pay attention to who Brooks is away from the court, then you’ll know that it's all part of the character he created to ensure he brings intensity each night.
He has spoken before about having no problem being traded by the Houston Rockets for Kevin Durant and has been complimentary of old foe LeBron James as well. Brooks is the player who you hate to see coming and love to have on your team, which is why he has found mainstream success hard to come by.
He’s easy to hate and mock, which is what fans of the other 29 teams love to do. That doesn’t mean he can’t begrudgingly earn their respect, which he already has more than most would like to admit.
Brooks must lean into his villain persona even more
The Canadian international doesn’t even have to change who he is in order to finally get the widespread acclaim he deserves. Being a two-way player who takes pride in defending and can knock down over 40 percent of his 3-pointers while being as outspoken as ever can get the job done.
He was the best player in a playoff series against a top seed while counting Devin Booker as a teammate last time out. The increase in national exposure for the Suns ahead of the All-Star Game might come too late to get Brooks in the mix, but those marquee matchups should provide a timely reminder that this is a player in his prime who is the ideal co-star for Booker on a competitive team.
The contract extension in Phoenix is further proof that Dillon Brooks has nothing to prove to fans in The Valley. His final challenge is now forcing everybody else to accept just how good and important a player he is in the NBA.
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