After two strong seasons in Houston, Dillon Brooks didn’t want to leave the Rockets - but he gets it.
When a future Hall of Famer like Kevin Durant becomes available, you pick up the phone. That’s exactly what Houston did in the 2025 offseason, pulling off a blockbuster deal with Phoenix that brought Durant to the Rockets and sent Brooks to the Suns. It was a move that made basketball sense, even if it meant parting with a player who had become a cornerstone of Houston’s culture shift.
Brooks, now 29, recently reflected on the trade and his time in Houston. A couple weeks after the deal went down, he walked into UNLV’s Cox Pavilion during Summer League, not to scout or stir up headlines, but to say goodbye. The Rockets were playing, and Brooks wanted to personally thank the people who had believed in him - general manager Rafael Stone, the front office, and the staff who helped him thrive during a pivotal two-year stretch.
It was all handshakes, hugs, and smiles - a far cry from the tension that marked his exit from Memphis in 2023. That split was messy.
His time in Houston? The opposite.
Brooks was proud of what he helped build in Houston, and he holds no grudges about being included in the Durant deal. In fact, he gets it.
“[Stone] was telling me the whole time that they didn't want to have my name in it,” Brooks said. “They wanted to keep me to build more and more to that franchise.
But overall, when you got a guy like Kevin Durant, you cannot pass up on it. And they’re doing well.
They haven’t fell off - like Memphis did.”
That last line hits with a little edge, but it’s not just talk. The numbers back it up.
While Memphis has stumbled to a 17-22 record this season, both Houston (23-14) and Phoenix (24-16) are thriving. The Rockets landed a superstar scorer in Durant, and Brooks is helping to reshape the Suns’ identity on both ends of the floor.
Let’s not forget: two summers ago, Stone took a leap of faith by signing Brooks to a four-year, $86 million deal - a move that drew plenty of criticism at the time, especially given the way things ended in Memphis. But Brooks delivered.
He helped lead Houston from a 22-60 team to a 52-30 contender in just two seasons. That kind of turnaround doesn’t happen without a cultural shift, and Brooks was at the center of it.
“He helped change the culture over here,” Rockets guard Amen Thompson said. “I feel like Houston loves him.
They embrace him and that’s my guy. That’s like a big brother to me.”
Now in Phoenix, Brooks is putting up the best numbers of his career - 21.3 points per game on 45.7% shooting, including 34.6% from three and 84.4% from the line. He’s still the defensive pest we’ve come to know, but he’s also matured into a reliable offensive option and a vocal leader. That leadership has helped spark a defensive resurgence for the Suns, who have outperformed expectations and sit firmly in the playoff mix.
Sure, the Suns are 0-3 against the Rockets this season, but each matchup has been marked by mutual respect. There’s no bad blood here - just two teams that got better by making a bold move, and a player who’s proving his value all over again in a new jersey.
Sometimes, trades hurt. But when both sides win, it’s easier to appreciate what came before - and what’s still to come.