LAKERS OFFSEASON NO LEBRON JAMES BIG BOARD: #17 DILLON BROOKS

WRITTEN + EDITED BY JORDYN BONTRAGER

“If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” - Some Unknown Genius

Whoever officially coined that saying may remain a mystery, but one thing that’s for sure is that this scenario right here playing out would be the premier permutation of that particular catch phrase.

If your recollection serves you, you should recall PJ Washington rising to the occasion to set the tone from a toughness standpoint for those ‘24 Mavs ‘24 Mavs ‘24 Mavs. His ruthless demeanor seemed to spawn a heightened sense of trust from teammates on the battlefield. Having a guy like that in your corner makes life in the warzone a little less hostile.

Now imagine having THE guy in your corner. More specifically, this guy pictured below these words which you are reading oh so kindly.

Now that we (should) have a firm grasp on your attention, let’s get legitimate real quick.

Dillon Brooks is a rugged 6’7”, 225 LB forward who turned 30 in January and wrapped up his 9th NBA campaign + first as a Phoenix Sun this year. Won’t even lie here, flash back a few years in the past and we’d have called you crazy if you told us we would ever in a million years be suggesting something so seemingly blasphemous.

And yet here we are.

One thing about this guy DB is that he honest to godly thrives in his villain role. He absorbs the negative energy that he attracts, churns it through his inner assembly line, then burns it through his inner core to keep that unrelenting animal inside of him prowling. Opinions are opinions and everyone’s got one, but at the end of the day you can’t hate the dude for having some fun with it out there. Brooks starts butting heads with an opposing superstar, the team’s defensive intensity boosts around him, the fans are on their feet and all the more engaged. Everybody wins?

Also, his aforementioned 9th NBA campaign this year also happened to be his clear-cut cleanest. Brooks settled in nicely in a secondary support role next to Devin Booker and Jalen Green, dropping a career high 20.2 PPG on healthy splits of 43.5% FG x 34.4% 3FG x 84.2% FT in 56 games. Had he reached the 65 minimum games played threshold, he would have had a strong MIP case to discuss with his Canadian companion NAW, eh?

But wait, there’s more.

Brooks more than rode his regular season rhythm with him into the postseason, he outright wore it on his sleeves. The savage led the Suns with 26 PPG on sizzling splits of 45.9% FG x 43.8% 3FG x 100% FT while contributing 6 RPG on the glass as well. And defending the 2x reigning MVP, as well. Despite the series’s unfavorable outcome with the broom sticks, that’s a whole lotta impact if you ask me.

With an expiring contract looming within his financial plans, we may see a version of Dillon Brooks the world has yet to meet next season. Another numerical upswing in ‘26'-’27 could be the difference in sealing his first $100million+ deal as the veteran slowly starts to transition out of his prime phase across the coming years. And as he continues to progress onwards through his prime, assuredly Brooks has an appetite for ring service in conjunction with his desire to rack up.

Unfortunately for Mat Ishbia in terms of forecasting what Phoenix’s future outlook projects: there is absolutely zero pathway to the promised land with the currently constructed Phoenix Suns. Doesn’t it seem like we’re drawing close to Devin Booker trade request o’clock? Whether Book stays or goes should not factor too largely into the front office’s plans at it pertains to Brooks’s future with the franchise. Devin Booker is the Phoenix Suns, in all actuality. If anyone on that roster is getting moved, it will be a move made in an effort to appease Booker D. And unless Ishbia’s punting early on Jalen Green (an intriguing possibility come to think of it), look no further than Brooks and his expiring $20 million salary as a trade asset to utilize.

Say Pelinka came to the table with Vanderbilt, LaRavia and draft compensation. Would that be enough to get a deal done? If so, bring on all the Dillon Brooks supervillain antics in Los Angeles right alongside partner in crime Luka. Those two competing against one another is always hit television. Those two competing with one another? That could potentially feed a few families.