Latest news with #DillonBrooks
Time of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
NBA Trade Rumors: Los Angeles Lakers Reportedly Eyeing $86 million Houston Rockets Guard to Bolster Squad Around Luka-LeBron Champion Duo
Los Angeles Lakers' bold call to retain Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt triggers heated debate (Image Source: Getty Images) The Los Angeles Lakers may not be done making moves this offseason. While some believe their roster is set, others think another trade could be in the works to push them closer to championship contention. The Proposed Deal SB Nation's Jacob Rude recently laid out three potential trade scenarios that could boost the Los Angeles Lakers ' chances, including one involving Dillon Brooks. Proposed Trade Dillon Brooks (Image via Getty) Team Receives Suns Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber Lakers Dillon Brooks As Rude explained: 'From a fan favorite to a villain of the fans. Dillon Brooks immediately became the target of the fans during the Lakers' series against the Grizzlies, one that went terribly for him. He antagonized LeBron before the playoffs, then spent the series ducking reporters and getting ejected from games.' Dillon Brooks' History with LeBron and the Los Angeles Lakers Dillon Brooks has built a reputation as one of the league's most polarizing figures. His antics during the Lakers-Grizzlies playoff series turned him into a target for fans. However, Lakers history shows that villains can become allies - Ron Artest, Matt Barnes, and Dwight Howard all managed to redeem themselves after joining the team. Why Brooks Could Fit in Los Angeles • Elite Wing Defense: Brooks is widely regarded as one of the best wing defenders in the NBA. • Capable Scorer: While streaky, he can deliver big offensive performances. • Controlled Role: Likely to come off the bench for the Lakers, giving the team a quick hook if his on-court antics resurface. The Reality of the Trade At present, the move appears unlikely. The Phoenix Suns , who landed Brooks in the Kevin Durant trade, have expressed no desire to move him. In addition, the proposed offer of Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber is unlikely to be enough to convince them. What Would Make It Possible for the Los Angeles Lakers If the Los Angeles Lakers were willing to include one or two first-round picks, the Suns might reconsider - especially if they decide to pivot toward a rebuild. In that scenario, Dillon Brooks could be pried away from Phoenix. Also read: NBA Trade News: Los Angeles Clippers Sign $11.4 Million Golden State Warriors Star Forward in Pre-Season Roster Shakeup Potential Sweetener Added Asset Impact on Sun's Decision 1 First-Round Pick Opens door for consideration 2 First-Round Picks Makes trade significantly more realistic Pairing Brooks with both Luka Doncic and LeBron James could create a formidable combination of defensive grit and offensive potential. But for now, this remains more of a speculative 'what-if' than an imminent reality. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bucks predicted to target veteran All Defense forward
Bucks predicted to target veteran All Defense forward originally appeared on The Sporting News The Milwaukee Bucks have put together a productive offseason, fueled by the addition of star center Myles Turner, who signed a four-year contract. They also re-signed key rotational players, such as Gary Trent Jr., Bobby Portis, Ryan Rollins, and Taurean Prince, along with adding veteran guard Gary Harris in free agency in an attempt to build around franchise cornerstone Giannis Antetokounmpo. Despite the Turner signing, the Bucks lose some depth after waiving Damian Lillard, along with whom the franchise traded for back in the 2022 offseason. To boost their championship odds, Clutchpoints' Caleb Nixon suggests the Bucks target Dillon Brooks as a potential target. "For a team that's lacked edge and competitive grit since Holiday's departure, Dillon Brooks is another viable option," Nixon wrote. "He's coming off a career year from 3-point range, shooting nearly 40% for the Houston Rockets last season. He added, "But his impact is mostly present on the defensive end and through his personality. He likes to get under the opponents' skin, and oftentimes, it works to Brooks' advantage. Financially, it'd be a lot easier for the Bucks to acquire Brooks. "He's making just over $21 million this season, and the contract declines in 2026-27, the final year of the deal. If the Suns struggle in the loaded Western Conference, Brooks could be a valuable trade target at the February deadline. "The 6-foot-6, 225-pound forward would give the Bucks a much-needed perimeter defender who can provide the energy and spark that is often required for championship teams." Brooks, who was traded to the Phoenix Suns as part of the blockbuster deal that sent Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets, put together a solid season in Houston, averaging 14.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 75 games played. The Rockets were one of the best teams in the Western Conference last season, winning 52 games before getting eliminated by the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs. If traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, he can add much-needed toughness and floor spacing to a team that has lost some significant firepower to a Bucks team that has regressed over the years since winning its first championship in 50 years back in 2021. More NBA:
Time of India
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Jonathan Kuminga trade talks stall as Golden State Warriors show no interest in Dillon Brooks deal
Dillon Brooks played for the Houston Rockets (Image via Getty Images) Recently, during the NBA offseason, one of the most prominent stories has been Jonathan Kuminga's back-and-forth negotiations with the Golden State Warriors. It has also garnered a lot of attention from the media and his fans. The Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns have also tried to pursue him. Meanwhile, according to reports, the Golden State Warriors are not interested in trading for Dillon Brooks in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga from the Phoenix Suns. The Golden State Warriors don't want to acquire Dillon Brooks for unspecified reasons Jonathan Kuminga is the biggest holdup in the league as the Golden State Warriors navigate an offseason in which they have yet to sign any significant free agents. The G.S. Warriors are willing to match any offer sheet that a team submits to Jonathan Kuminga because he is a restricted free agent. However, a trade is difficult under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. In any possible sign-and-trade, the G.S. Warriors are seeking high-quality assets in exchange, despite interest from teams like the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings. The Phoenix Suns reportedly have to trade Royce O'Neale and Grayson Allen. They have also allegedly discussed with the team about Jonathan Kuminga. According to insiders, the G.S. Warriors would not be interested in newly acquired wing Dillon Brooks, and the Phoenix Suns have not made an offer to trade him this offseason. Stating the same, insider Brett Siegel said: 'Phoenix has not offered, and will not involve, newly acquired wing Dillon Brooks in trade conversations this offseason, nor would the Warriors hold interest in him, sources said.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like What's Really Going On in These 45 Unbelievable Photos? Click Here Undo In July, forward Dillon Brooks joined the Phoenix Suns . Following his first day with the team, he received a message from the management. The Phoenix Suns are probably better defensively, even though they have more guards. Additionally, the Golden State Warriors and Dillon Brooks have a history as Following their victory in Game 7, the Warriors humiliated Dillon Brooks in May 2025. After shooting 3-of-9 for eight points in 36 minutes as the G.S. Warriors won Game 7 103-89, Dillon Brooks left the court without recognizing his opponents. Dillon Brooks is an amazing player (Image via Getty Images) Draymond Green dissed the player during his appearance on The Draymond Green Show and said: "Dillon Brooks ran off the court. So, when I say you see what guys is made of, he ran off the court. Ain't shake nobody up. You admitted you were trying to hurt Steph's hand. Which, fine by me, bro. I get it, we all get it when you hoop. Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns might wait to see what kind of season they have without Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant before cutting ties with Dillon Brooks, even though he would meet the G.S. Warriors' needs. They also don't appear to be interested in signing longer contracts. Also read: Jonathan Kuminga, Cam Thomas and Josh Giddey eye $30 million yearly deals as teams hesitate in free agency For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
New York Times
24-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Dillon Brooks will give the rebuilding Suns toughness, energy — and perhaps an edge
PHOENIX — The technical fouls. The trash-talking. The scuffling. The obvious question to those who have coached Dillon Brooks deals with all that. As in, have you ever asked him to tone it down? David McClure coached Brooks for four seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies. Asked this, he brought up working in the video room earlier in his career with the San Antonio Spurs. One night, he was among those invited to dinner with then-coach Gregg Popovich. The Spurs in those years were methodical and structured. Everyone except Manu Ginobili. He was a little more 'chaotic,' McClure said, recalling the dinner. Advertisement Pop said that night: 'I have to kind of let Manu be Manu. I have to give him a little bit more leeway than the rest of the players because a muzzled Manu isn't special.' Keith Smart coached Brooks during his rookie season in Memphis, long before Brooks had established himself. Still, the edge and toughness were there. Smart kept up with Brooks through the years, watching his games and texting him observations and reminders. Asked if he's ever told Brooks to chill, Smart brought up something former Georgetown coach John Thompson once told him. 'Keith,' Thompson said, 'you can always calm down a fool, but you can never raise a dead man.' Translation: 'You can always tell a player to calm down some,' Smart said, 'but when you have to constantly tell a player — Come on, man. Play hard. Compete — you're going to run out of time.' Entering his ninth season, Brooks is among the headliners of the Phoenix Suns' summer reboot, acquired with athletic guard Jalen Green and others in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Rockets for superstar Kevin Durant. Phoenix's intent was to get bigger, younger and more athletic. But the Suns also wanted to get tougher, especially on defense. Those who have worked with Brooks insist few are better. This may take time. Not for Brooks, but for Phoenix fans. Throughout their history, the Suns have had elite scorers, gifted passers and decent defenders. They have not had many irritators, guys who lived to get inside an opponent's head. Dennis Awtrey (1970s), Maurice Lucas (1980s) and Danny Ainge (1990s) all could annoy or intimidate, but not at this level. Over the last three regular seasons, Brooks, 29, has earned a league-high 49 technical fouls. Last season he was T'd up for barking at officials, sticking up for teammates, taunting, pushing, flopping and hanging on the rim. In March, he was ejected in Phoenix after a dust-up with Durant. In a first-round playoff matchup against Golden State, he beefed with Jimmy Butler and was accused of targeting Stephen Curry's sore thumb. Advertisement At a brief media session during NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Brooks described his style as 'no bull—,' adding he doesn't back down from anybody or any situation. He said he couldn't wait for Suns fans to cheer next season after his first technical foul, which shows the power of a uniform change. As The Boston Globe wrote in 1986, 'villainy is in the eye of the beholder.' 'It's not a bad reputation to have,' said former NBA guard Nick Van Exel, who coached Brooks in Memphis, where Brooks spent his first six seasons before spending the last two in Houston. 'A lot of guys go through their whole career and nobody knows anything about them. You know Dillon Brooks because of his tenacity on defense. You know when he's on the court. He has a presence.' DILLON BROOKS AND KEVIN DURANT GET INTO IT 🍿 Dillon Brooks was ejected 👀 — HOOPS HIGHLIGHTS 🎥 (@_HoopsNation) March 31, 2025 The Athletic talked with seven NBA coaches who have worked with Brooks. What amazed many is that Brooks — who has earned just one All-Defense nod (second team in 2023) — isn't more respected as a defender, especially because of his versatility. McClure recalled a short Memphis stretch during which the 6-foot-6 Brooks defended then-Washington wing Bradley Beal, Portland guard Damian Lillard and New Orleans forward Zion Williamson. Memphis had others who matched up better against the bulldozer-like Williamson, but Brooks told the coaching staff: 'I want him.' During Blake Ahearn's four years in Memphis, the most common question he got from outsiders dealt with Ja Morant, the rising superstar. The second: What's Dillon Brooks like? Ahearn recalled his first season as an assistant coach. It was the 2020-21 season, and Memphis was locked in a Play-In Tournament battle with Golden State. The winner secured the Western Conference's eighth seed, the loser was eliminated. At one point in the contest, then-Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins subbed out Brooks for a quick breather. Ahearn had done the scout for Golden State, and he was nervous. He knew how quickly Curry could catch fire. He needed Brooks on the floor. 'Are you ready?' Ahearn asked him on the bench. 'Dude, just give me like one minute and I'm good,' Brooks said, according to Ahearn. Ahearn let 30 seconds pass. 'Are you …' Brooks didn't wait for the entire question. He got up and walked to the scorer's table. Brooks played 45 minutes that night. Memphis won in overtime. Advertisement 'If you're giving a scout, you could ask Dillon about the best player,' Ahearn said. 'You could also ask him about the 13th player — Dillon will be able to give you a full scouting report on everybody. His attention to detail and how he prepares in order to guard guys is special. … I just respect the heck out of him that night-in and night-out he wants that matchup, and he's not going to back down from it.' Former Memphis assistant Brad Jones said Brooks is outstanding on the ball, but what separates him is focus. Luka Doncic could score on him on four consecutive possessions, and on the fifth, Brooks would be just as determined as the first. While some coaches might panic and make defensive changes, the Memphis staff knew it could stick with its coverage because Brooks eventually would figure it out. 'One of the best things I think you can say about him is he plays 82 games and he comes out every night like it's the last game he's going to play,' Jones said. Brooks brought the same commitment and energy to practice. Memphis often scheduled practice at 11:30 a.m. and had time slots available so players could get treatment or hit the weight room. Usually, the rookies and younger players took the earlier times to let the vets come in later. Brooks, however, grabbed the early slots so he could get in more work. There were outbursts. Former Memphis assistant Scoonie Penn recalled Brooks delivering a hard foul during a lackadaisical practice. Words were exchanged. Brooks yelled at video staffers who were officiating — and practice changed. 'What he did was, he raised the level of competition,' Penn said. 'He got angry … but at the same time it lifted everybody up. Because, obviously, it's a long season. You have times when it's up and down. It might be dead. You need that extra. Dillon brings that extra.' Adam Mazarei was around Brooks for only his first two seasons in Memphis, but he said not much has changed. From the start, Brooks was an NBA second-round draft pick who carried himself like a lottery pick. Ultra-competitive. Uber-confident. Put in the work. Trust his game. And look where it's gotten him. 'Phoenix is getting a dude,' Mazarei said. 'His toughness, his edge, his confidence. He's a guy you want on your team, no question about it.'
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Suns reveal strategy behind Kevin Durant trade, Devin Booker extension
The post Suns reveal strategy behind Kevin Durant trade, Devin Booker extension appeared first on ClutchPoints. The 2025 NBA Summer League has come to an end, and the Phoenix Suns were the winners. They didn't win the Summer League title, as did the Charlotte Hornets, but they had a nice turnaround in three months. The Suns extended Devin Booker to a $145 million contract extension. Meanwhile, the franchise traded away Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets. Phoenix received Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (which ultimately became Khaman Maluach), and five second-round draft picks. The writing was on the wall when Durant exited his final Suns game with an ankle injury. Coincidentally, it happened to be against Houston. During the week in Las Vegas, one Suns front office executive, according to Spotrac, detailed the Durant trade and their thought process of securing a compensatory deal. 'When it became clear that was a direction we could do, we set a goal of not just going with a package of all young players and picks. We want to compete. 'We feel like getting Dillon (Brooks) and Jalen (Green), along with Khaman (Maluach) in that deal gives us a great balance of veterans, mid-career players, and a young big man to help us get after it right away,' the executive said. Durant's time with Phoenix was shaky, despite his contributions on the hardwood. The chemistry was there with Booker, but in the end, the furthest they reached was the second round of the NBA playoffs. Combining that with integrating Bradley Beal and forming a 'Big 3', it was a tumultuous ending for one of the worst failed experiments in league history. Devin Booker remains with the Suns It's not a secret how much Booker loves the Valley of the Sun. Time and time again, he repeatedly referenced his gratitude and appreciation for the city. They drafted him as a true freshman from Kentucky, where he only played one season. Nine seasons later, Booker broke the Suns' all-time scoring record. Those are only a glimpse of his accomplishments in the purple and orange. When it came time to put the ink to the paper, no one was shocked. It was a mutual feeling. 'That's our guy. He wants to be a forever Sun. We want that too. We're well on our way to making it happen,' a Suns front office executive said. Even with the shooting guard's commitment to the city, the franchise needs to surround him with formidable pieces. Despite the team being quite young with their three rookies, second-year players in Ryan Dunn, Oso Ighodaro, and Collin Gillespie, there is reason for optimism. The Suns' hiring of Jordan Ott emphasized Booker being the focal point of the offense. He's also a coach focused on continuity and excellence, something not present with the previous regime. Phoenix's young players can make a big splash With the players mentioned above, people forget how young Jalen Green is. While he's been in the league since 2022, he's only 23. Booker himself is only 28 and has been in the league for nine seasons. There's a youth movement on the horizon, and one that the main star has been searching for. All throughout the 2024-25 season, he raved about Dunn and Ighodaro's mentality, and how professional and impactful they were as rookies. That being said, Phoenix's coaching staff feels the same way. 'We felt like last year's draft class was really good. Ryan (Dunn) can be a top-tier wing/forward defender. Oso (Ighodaro) just knows how to play,' a Suns coach said. 'This year, we hit a homerun. Khaman (Maluach) is going to be a top starting center before the end of his rookie deal. Everything in his profile speaks to how quickly he improves. 'Rasheer (Fleming) could play right away. Getting him in the second round was huge for us. And Koby Brea is on a two-way, but we think he was the best pure shooter in the draft. The best part, these guys are part of the identity we want to build now. A bunch of workers who defend and get after it every day.' The Suns need more balance at specific positions The team has a logjam at a few positions. Most notably, the center spot and the wing positions are stacked with three or four players. It's not necessarily a huge issue, but it could create a major disparity within other positions. It's something that the front office continues to harp on. 'Still have some work to do. We've got some overlap, but it's not in bad areas. We've got a bunch of centers who are going to push each other every single day, and we've got guards and wings who will do the same. 'I'm not saying we're done, but if this was the group we hit camp with, we feel confident that Jordan (Ott) and his staff can make it work,' a Suns front office executive said. Their confidence in Ott is impressive. The team alone seems more connected than last season. The majority of the starters were in attendance during Phoenix's portion of the Summer League. With nearly three months before the season begins, their time in Las Vegas might've been a telling and optimistic sign of what's to come. Related: Phoenix Suns 2025 NBA free agency grades for every signing Related: Suns rumors: 2 other veterans 'not on radar' as Chris Paul joins Clippers
