The Memphis Grizzlies are in a tough spot right now. Sitting at 17-22 and clinging to the 10th seed in the Western Conference, this season has been anything but smooth. And now, with Ja Morant reportedly ready to be traded, the situation has gone from concerning to potentially unraveling.
But what’s adding fuel to the fire isn’t just the on-court struggles-it’s the unexpected criticism coming from a familiar face. Former Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks, now with the Phoenix Suns, didn’t hold back when asked about his recent trade and the state of his former team. In an interview discussing his move from Houston to Phoenix, Brooks took a pointed jab at Memphis, suggesting that his departure marked the beginning of the Grizzlies’ decline.
“[Stone] was telling me the whole time that they didn't want to have my name in it. 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,” Brooks said.
That’s a bold statement, but there’s some truth to the numbers. During Brooks’ tenure in Memphis, the team made the playoffs three times in six seasons.
Since his departure, they’ve only made it once. Meanwhile, Brooks’ impact on his new teams has been hard to ignore.
The Houston Rockets jumped from 22-60 to 41-41 in his first season, eventually returning to the playoffs. Now with the Suns, Brooks is contributing to a squad that’s turned things around from 34-46 last year to a 24-16 record so far this season-good enough for seventh in the West.
It’s not just that Brooks is talking-he’s backing it up with results. His defensive edge, physical play, and unshakable confidence have followed him to each stop, and the teams he’s joined have seen immediate improvement. That kind of presence doesn’t always show up in the box score, but it clearly matters in the win column.
For the Grizzlies, this is a moment of reckoning. Injuries, inconsistency, and now potential roster upheaval with Morant’s situation have all contributed to a season that’s veering off course. Whether Brooks’ comments sting or not, they reflect a truth that Memphis has to confront: the identity and grit that once defined this team are slipping.
There’s still time to turn things around, but the margin for error is shrinking fast. If the Grizzlies want to climb out of this hole, they’ll need more than just talent-they’ll need the kind of edge they once had when Brooks was wearing their jersey.