The Houston Rockets made a bold, franchise-shifting move when they pulled the trigger on a trade for Kevin Durant. And let’s be clear - they’d do it again.
No regrets. You don’t pass up a chance to land one of the greatest scorers the league has ever seen.
But that doesn’t mean they didn’t lose something valuable in the process. According to NBA power agent Rich Paul, the Rockets would’ve loved to keep Dillon Brooks in the fold - they just couldn’t make the math work.
“I can guarantee you that (if Rafael Stone) could have kept Dillon Brooks and got Kevin Durant, he would have,” Paul said recently.
That’s the reality of the NBA trade market. To get a player like Durant, you have to give up something real.
In this case, it was Brooks. The only other contract that could’ve made the numbers work was Fred VanVleet’s, and with how crucial he’s been to Houston’s 2024-25 surge, that wasn’t an option.
So Brooks was the piece that had to move - not because the Rockets wanted to let him go, but because there was no other way.
Dillon Brooks: The Edge Houston Still Misses
Say what you want about Dillon Brooks - and plenty of people have - but the guy brings an edge that’s impossible to fake. He’s the kind of player who gets under your skin if he’s on the other team, but if he’s yours?
You love him for life. He defends like his paycheck depends on it, he dives for loose balls like it’s Game 7 of the Finals, and he never, ever backs down from a challenge.
Brooks carved out a reputation in Houston as the guy who would take on the toughest defensive assignments night after night. And he did it with pride.
He wasn’t chasing stats or headlines - he was chasing wins. That kind of mentality doesn’t show up in a box score, but it resonates in a locker room.
Offensively, Brooks has always been a bit of a rollercoaster. Last season, he put up 14 points per game on an impressive 39.7% shooting from deep - a career-best mark that turned some heads. This year, with the Suns, he’s taken on a bigger scoring load, averaging 21.6 points per game, though his efficiency has dipped to 32.2% from three.
Brooks’ ability to create his own shot in isolation has always been a bit of a double-edged sword. He can get buckets, no question - but sometimes, his shot selection can leave coaches scratching their heads.
Still, his defensive value has always outweighed any offensive inconsistencies. And that’s the part Houston misses most.
A Culture Shifter in Clutch City
When the Rockets went into a full rebuild a few years back, the concern wasn’t just about wins and losses - it was about culture. There was real fear that the young core might get too comfortable with losing, that the fire to compete could fade before it ever really caught.
That’s where Brooks came in.
He wasn’t just a veteran presence - he was a tone-setter. He brought a level of intensity and professionalism that rubbed off on the locker room.
He demanded effort. He demanded accountability.
And even though he’s now in Phoenix, that imprint remains. The Rockets still play with a toughness and grit that traces directly back to Brooks’ short, impactful stint in Houston.
This wasn’t a case of a player getting traded because he didn’t fit. Brooks fit just fine.
He did exactly what the Rockets hoped he would do: help change the culture. He helped turn a group of talented young players into a team that expects to win every night.
But when Kevin Durant becomes available, you move mountains to get him. You make the tough calls.
You give up pieces you’d rather keep. And if you’re Houston, that meant saying goodbye to Dillon Brooks - not because you wanted to, but because you had to.
Still, if there had been a way to keep him, he’d still be wearing Rockets red. No need for insider info to see that - just watch how this team still plays like Dillon Brooks is in the building.