Memphis Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks has become a household name after a season in which he played a villain role for the NBA, constantly getting into back-and-forth taunting matches with opposing players â from superstars like LeBron James to bench players like Theo Pinson.
While his behavior has endeared him to some fans, it hasn't been that way for everyone. Not in the least because for a player who talks so much, there are multiple holes in his offensive game that prevent his team from maximizing its potential.
So much so that the Grizzlies have already tried to move on from Brooks, with the six-year NBA veteran preparing to reach free agency in the 2023 offseason.
âThey tried to upgrade at the trade deadline,â ESPN's Tim MacMahon says on the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective.
âThey threw four picks at the Nets trying to get Mikal Bridges. They really weren't able to get the Raptors in serious conversations, but they would have given up a few picks to get OG Anunoby. They've tried to move on from Dillon Brooks already.â
In fact, while acknowledging that Brooks is relied upon heavily on the defensive end, MacMahon surmises that there's a legitimate chance that the 27-year-old has played his last season in Memphis.
âI don't know if Dillon Brooks is on this team after this series⌠I certainly don't know if he's on this team after free agency this summer, but the problem is if he's not, who's guarding all the best playersâŚ
If they're letting Dillon Brooks, they absolutely have to get a really, really, really good defensive wing player. They can let him go in free agency, they just have to figure out how to replace me. Trust me, they've put a lot of thought into that.â