The Phoenix Suns and Dillon Brooks are heading in opposite directions. That means his opening night performance in Phoenix may be his last for the franchise with a midseason trade looming on the horizon.
The Suns had limited options when exploring trade packages for Kevin Durant this summer. They were obviously never going to get back the infinity picks and solid starters they traded for him in the first place, but trying to deal an injury-prone 37-year-old former MVP on an expiring contract is not the easiest thing in the world.
In the end, their return from the Houston Rockets was fine; it certainly wasn't a franchise-changing move. They picked up a few second-round picks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (they used it on Duke center Khaman Maluach), young shooting guard Jalen Green and grizzled veteran wing Dillon Brooks.
Dillon Brooks is good - but not what the Suns need right now
Green and the draft picks are pieces the Suns can use to reset their timeline and rebuild their roster around Devin Booker; Dillon Brooks is the odd man out. On the one hand, he was the logical player to be included in the deal to match Durant's lofty salary. On the other, he is of significantly more value to a contending team than he is to a lottery squad.
The Suns likely don't see themselves as a lottery team just yet, and their come-from-behind opening night victory doesn't immediately scream "give up and sell off your players" to the front office and ownership group. In a hyper-competitive Western Conference, however, their odds of even making the Play-In Tournament are slim. A four-point win over the Sacramento Kings should not trick the Suns or fans into thinking this team is ready to compete.
One player who contributed to that victory was Dillon Brooks, who was second on the team with 22 points and had the best on-off rating of anyone in the starting lineup (a mild +2). His shot was off, as he hit just one of his eight 3-pointers, but the fact that he can get up that many shots is a valuable quality for NBA teams. His 39.7 percent shooting from deep last season suggests his accuracy will bounce back.
A Suns team that ends up with 34 wins doesn't need a player like Dillon Brooks; given that he is 29 years old and is under contract for only one more season after this one, it makes little sense for Phoenix to hold onto him. Instead, a contending team should look at Brooks and his reasonable contract -- paying him $21 million this year and a hair under $20 million next year -- and be willing to make a move for him ahead of the Trade Deadline in early February.
Brooks was confident in his Phoenix debut, and he will help them be competitive for as long as he is in the lineup. Ultimately, however, his skillset and the Suns' timeline begs for him to be traded -- and contending teams will certainly come calling.
His first opening night in Phoenix may very well be his last.