Dillon Brooks joins Grizzlies foe on $80M deal after rocky Memphis tenure

The move comes after the Grizzlies informed Brooks he would not be brought back "under any circumstances" during exit meetings following the team's first-round playoff elimination, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. 

Brooks, 27, was the longest-tenured player on Memphis' roster, playing all six of his NBA seasons with the Grizzlies. Selected No. 45 overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, Brooks is a career 14.5-point-per-game scorer whose defensive prowess was a core attribute in Memphis' rise up the Western Conference rankings in recent seasons. However, his limitations offensively — shot a career-worst 39.6% from the field in 2022-23 — and polarizing personality was ultimately too much to stomach for Grizzlies brass. 

Brooks is the second big-money addition the Rockets have netted in free agency. The team signed star point guard Fred VanVleet to a $130M contract on Friday, the richest deal for an undrafted player in NBA history. The well-paid duo gives Houston some much-needed veteran presence to complement a young, yet talented roster featuring Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Şengün and more. 

The Rockets have not reached the playoffs since 2019-20. On the other hand, Brooks helped Memphis advance to the postseason in three consecutive seasons, while VanVleet won an NBA title with the Toronto Raptors in 2018-19. 

Houston is still likely a few seasons away from truly competing in the West. However, the hiring of coach Ime Udoka and veteran additions such as Brooks and VanVleet should have the Rockets on the cusp of postseason play sooner rather than later.