Dillon Brooks is nearing a deal to sign with the Houston Rockets, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The deal could potentially turn into a sign-and-trade with the Memphis Grizzlies. Brooks was one of the more controversial free agents on the market this offseason. While he was a key cog for the No. 2 seed Grizzlies and earned Second-Team All-Defense honors for his performance last season, his frequent trash talk against LeBron James put a target on his back when the Grizzlies faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the postseason.
That series ultimately ended with the Lakers defeating the Grizzlies by exactly 40 points in the series-clinching Game 6 mere days after Brooks challenged James to score 40 points against him. Days later, reports indicated that the Grizzlies would not bring Brooks back under any circumstances, and any doubts about that reporting were essentially confirmed the night before the draft, when the Grizzlies acquired Marcus Smart to replace Brooks on the wing.
Despite last season's unfortunate ending, Brooks remains one of the best defensive wings in the NBA. The concerns lie primarily with his offense. After entering the NBA as a strong scorer who has averaged as many as 18.4 points per game in the regular season and nearly 26 points in his first playoff series, Brooks has regressed significantly as a scorer. He has made just 32.1% of his 3-point shots over the past two seasons, and the Lakers simply didn't guard him from deep in the first round.
In signing Brooks to a contract, the Rockets are seemingly betting on him to rediscover his shooting form in Houston. However, the primary value he'll bring to the Rockets will come on defense. Houston ranked 29th in the NBA in defense last season and finished 30th a year earlier. New coach Ime Udoka helped turn the Celtics into the best defense in the NBA during his lone season in Boston, and Brooks will presumably help lead a turnaround on that end of the floor for the Rockets.
Houston has been planning a free agency splurge for months, and thus far this offseason, they have not disappointed. With Brooks in tow, the Rockets should be far more competitive next season.
