Dillon Brooks will be a key name to keep tabs on heading into the NBA offseason, especially after the recent news regarding him and the Memphis Grizzlies.
With the Grizzlies not expected to bring Brooks back, the 27-year-old wing will be an unrestricted free agent that several other teams may look to target. One of these teams may be the Miami Heat.
Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix was on The Bill Simmons Podcast recently and he floated the idea of Miami being a potential landing spot for Brooks this upcoming offseason.
“Every time you see kind of Duncan Robinson running around there defensively or Tyler Herro before him, you know they could use a defensive-minded wing,” Mannix said. “And I could see him finding his way down there and the Heat being aggressive and trying to get a guy at a relatively bargain basement price. That, to me, that feels like a frontrunner right now.”
Always known for being a tough-minded defensive team under head coach Erik Spoelstra, the Heat could use a defender like Brooks on the wing and Pat Riley is never afraid to make a big move come time for free agency.
With the Grizzlies through the years, Brooks has made a name for himself with his hard-nosed defense, but his temper and attitude may not be something that gels well with the culture the Heat have created. Not to mention, Brooks' asking price on a new contract may not be affordable for Miami given their salary restraints.
Heading into next season, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro are set to make over $134 million combined, already putting the Heat in a tough position to add talent in free agency.
Should Brooks be willing to negotiate in order to fill a need for a contending team like the Heat, it is certainly possible that this pairing could work out. However, Brooks declined multiple offers from Memphis earlier in the season, so he may not want to take less than what he is seeking.
Currently in the midst of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Heat are not even focused on the offseason yet. Whether or not they are a true landing spot for Dillon Brooks in free agency remains nothing more than a topic of discussion at this point.
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