Dillon Brooks has a guess for where LeBron James lands next, and he’s not exactly keeping it quiet.
In a video posted by NBA 2K League, Brooks pointed to Golden State as the team he thinks James will join this offseason.
"I think Golden State," Brooks said. "I think Golden State. Yeah."
The Warriors are among the teams that have been floated as possible destinations for James, along with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers. Brooks didn’t stop there, either. He framed his prediction as a direct message to James.
"This is me saying LeBron come back for one more year. Stop all this waiting s---," Brooks said.
Brooks and James have spent years trading shots and building one of the NBA’s most familiar personal rivalries. Brooks was back in the spotlight in May when he sat courtside for Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder, a game that turned out to be James’ final one with the Lakers as they were swept by OKC.
Asked about his reputation as one of James’ biggest critics, Brooks didn’t shy away.
"I'm top for sure."
He also sounded almost reflective when talking about James after that Lakers loss. Speaking to Yahoo!'s Kelly Iko, Brooks said he didn’t believe that game marked the end.
“I don’t think it’s his last year,” Brooks said. “I think he got one more in him.
I watched him when I was in the NBA, when I was a kid in high school. He’s got a phenomenal career and battled everybody and done it at a high level throughout.
It’s been amazing to watch overall, a pleasure to battle against him.”
For all the back-and-forth, Brooks has made clear he respects what James has done as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
There’s also a real Suns angle here beyond the LeBron chatter. Brooks is extension eligible this offseason, and Phoenix’s front office has already made it clear it wants him around. The Suns’ staff has praised him after he helped drive an identity shift that pushed the team to a 45-37 record in its first season after moving on from Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.
Suns owner Mat Ishbia said after the season on Arizona Sports' Burns and Gambo Show that Brooks is part of the plan.
"Yes, I do (see Brooks being a part of our future)," Ishbia said. "Dillon was a target in the Kevin Durant trade.
Him and Jalen Green were two people that we coveted. Jalen for his immense youth, athleticism and upside; Dillon for his grit, his toughness, his leadership and his all-around winner mentality.
And of course, we got Khaman (Maluach) and Rasheer (Fleming) in the deal too. So it turned out to be fantastic.
"With that being said, I expect Dillon Brooks to be here. We want Dillon Brooks to be here, whether it's an extension.
How do we do that? How do we make it so he wants to be here long term?
And I think he does. I know he does, actually, let me say it that way, and we've just got to figure out how to make that all work.
And so yes, I do expect to figure out a way to keep Dillon long term, because I do see him part of a championship team here in Phoenix over the next three to four years."
If James does wind up in Golden State, Brooks figures to have plenty more chances to keep the conversation going.
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