The free agency swingman Dillon Brooks has chosen to sign a four-year, $80 million deal with the Houston Rockets rather than play for a team in China. The agreement was negotiated by Brooks’ agent, Mike George, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. It was predicted because Brooks and Houston had previously been linked in rumors. There are no player or team options, and the contract is completely guaranteed.
Even though Brooks struggled offensively during his season with the Memphis Grizzlies, he was still one of the NBA’s top perimeter defenders and made the All-Defensive Second Team. The Rockets, who required a wing defender, discovered Brooks to be a good addition.
Dillon Brooks’ agent celebrates contract with witty message
Following a dismal 2023 postseason, Dillon Brooks was the target of jokes and scorn. During the series against the Los Angeles Lakers, he made some unfortunate remarks against LeBron James that had a very negative outcome.
With his unimpressive statistics of 10.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.2 steals per game, Brooks became the target of jokes, which fueled the rumor that China would be his final stop. His fortunes, however, unexpectedly changed when he signed a lucrative four-year, $80 million contract with the Houston Rockets during the free agency period.
恭喜DB与火箭队签约。期待美好的一年！顺便说一下，我们很快会来中国访问。
— Mike George (@MikeGTdot) July 1, 2023
Congratulations to DB for signing with the Rockets, Mike George, Brooks’ agent cleverly tweeted in Chinese to say in reaction to the doubters. “Congratulations to DB for signing with the Rockets. Looking forward to a great year! By the way, we will be visiting China soon.” This clever answer was a joking dig at those who had questioned Brooks’ future.
Despite his postseason problems, Brooks is still an important player, especially because of his outstanding defense, which earned him a berth on the All-Defensive Second Team. Although it can be viewed as an overpayment of $20 million per year, George was able to achieve an amazing agreement by understanding his client’s value.
Why did Grizzlies not resign Brooks?
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Memphis Grizzlies have made it plain that Dillon Brooks will not be joining the club again under any circumstances. According to reports, the decision was made at departure talks when both parties decided that a new beginning was necessary. Mike George, the agent representing Brooks, refuted the claim and accused Charania of disseminating untrue information.
Ramona Shelburne just said Dillon Brooks wants $25 million/year and that is why the Grizzlies are parting ways with him
— Cody Mallory (@RealCodyMallory) May 2, 2023
The Grizzlies’ performance in Brooks’ first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers appeared to be the team’s tipping point. Concerns were raised by his attempts to antagonize LeBron James and his diminished performance throughout the playoffs. The attention Brooks received for his rude remarks and altercation with James, as well as his being ejected for a flagrant 2-foul, brought attention to his underwhelming play.
Furthermore, Brooks has a track record of on-court mishaps, including many technical fouls and a ban for elbowing Donovan Mitchell in the groin. These elements, along with his notoriety and outspokenness, probably contributed to the Grizzlies’ decision not to re-sign him. As a second-round choice in 2017, Brooks settled in Memphis right away, but as he reaches unrestricted free agency, he will have to look around and find a new basketball home.
