Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker credited Dillon Brooks with helping establish the team’s early-season identity following a 127–110 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night. Speaking to the NBC broadcast crew after the victory, Booker explained to Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady what Brooks has brought to Phoenix during the franchise’s period of significant transition.
Booker delivered 19 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals in 29 minutes, shooting 6-for-13 from the field and converting all six free-throw attempts. He emphasized that Brooks’ influence has been both immediate and meaningful.
“You see it throughout his career, everywhere he’s went he’s helped the team develop an identity which is super important – something that you could hang your hat on throughout the course of an 82-game season,” Booker said. “So, every night there might be some type of scuffles, some type of altercation but that brings a team together or it can separate a team and you get to see that in those moments. Our team we stick together as one and it’s been successful for us so far.”
“Everywhere he's went, he's helped a team develop an identity. … Every night, there might be some type of scuffles, some type of altercation but that brings a team together or it can separate a team.”
Devin Booker on Dillon Brooks.
(via @NBAonNBC)pic.twitter.com/2uGNySuarz
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 19, 2025
Brooks added 12 points, four assists, two rebounds and three steals in 26 minutes while shooting 5-for-11 from the field against Portland. Through nine games in his first season with the Suns, he is averaging a career-high 20.9 points along with 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.1 steals per game. He has shot 45.9% from the floor and 32.4% from three-point range while taking on a prominent role under first-year head coach Jordan Ott.
Suns’ bold reset pays early dividends with Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks leading turnaround
Brooks arrived in Phoenix as part of a seven-team offseason deal that reshaped the organization. The Suns moved Kevin Durant in the transaction and acquired Brooks, Jalen Green, Khaman Maluach (No. 10 pick), Rasheer Fleming (No. 31), Koby Brea (No. 41), Daeqwon Plowden and two future second-round picks. The team also bought out Bradley Beal’s contract, allowing him to join the Los Angeles Clippers, signaling a full-scale reset after finishing 36–46 last season.
Before the trade, Brooks played a central role in the Houston Rockets’ 52–30 campaign a year ago, helping them secure the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference for the first time since the James Harden era. Houston ultimately fell to the Golden State Warriors in seven games in the opening round, but Brooks’ defensive intensity and on-court presence were widely cited as key factors in the franchise’s resurgence.
The Suns have emerged as one of the league’s early surprises, opening the season 9–6 and entering Tuesday’s matchup as the seventh seed despite substantial roster turnover and a new coaching staff. Booker and Brooks have led a collective effort that has emphasized defensive commitment, physical play and improved offensive flow.
Phoenix will begin a three-game homestand Friday at 9 p.m. ET against the Minnesota Timberwolves (9–5). The stretch concludes with Kevin Durant’s highly anticipated return to Footprint Center when the Suns host the Houston Rockets (9–3) on Nov. 24 at 9:30 p.m. ET on Peacock.
