The Phoenix Suns and Dillon Brooks have agreed to a three-year, $73 million contract extension, team sources told The Athletic on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been finalized.
Brooks was traded from the Houston Rockets to the Suns ahead of the 2025-26 season in the package that sent Kevin Durant from Phoenix to the Rockets. Brooks played 56 games last season, averaging a career-high 20.2 points per game, helping the Suns to a 45-37 record and the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The Oklahoma City Thunder swept Phoenix in the first round.
Brooks, 30, was an All-Defensive Second Team selection in 2023, his last season with the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Suns knew what they were getting in Brooks, but he might have actually brought more value than expected. Owner Mat Ishbia and the front office wanted to reconstruct a team built on toughness and defense. Brooks was the catalyst, the main reason league coaches said the Suns were among the NBA’s hardest-working teams last season.
His work ethic impressed everyone in the building. His intensity raised the level of practice.
For most of the season — at least until he fractured his left hand in February — Brooks might have been Phoenix’s MVP. He didn’t back down from matchups against the league’s top stars, and he became a reliable scorer who didn’t shy away from taking big shots. Brooks averaged a career high in points and field-goal attempts (17.1).
Known for defense, he took pride in his offensive improvement and entered the offseason determined to stay on that path.
Brooks’ next step is to better integrate that offensive growth into coach Jordan Ott’s offense. The Suns played best last season when the ball moved on the perimeter and put defenses into rotation, leading to open looks. Too often the ball stopped with Brooks, who preferred to score in isolation.
Brooks also needs to rebound better — his 3.3 career average is much too low for a player of his size and energy.
Phoenix, which made the Western Conference Play-In Tournament last season, hopes to contend again this year. The Suns acquired forward Miles Bridges from the Charlotte Hornets and later signed sharp-shooter Luke Kennard.
While shooting remains a legitimate concern, the Suns should be more athletic and physical. They expect Jalen Green, who missed more than half of last season with injuries, to return to form alongside star guard Devin Booker. Guards Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, both re-signed over the offseason, provide solid bench production.
Brooks is a big part of the core, a reason Ott was willing to overlook his extracurricular actions that led to a league-high 17 technical fouls last season. Phoenix’s newly extended forward enjoys the “villain” persona, but he’ll need to improve in this regard as well. If his total technical fouls can’t decrease, he should at least time them better.
