Dillon Brooks got his new deal in before the ground shifted.
The Phoenix Suns and Brooks agreed to a three-year, $73 million extension this summer, and that timing suddenly looks huge with Mark Williams injured. Williams’ absence could push Brooks into a different kind of role this season, one that might have changed the way the Suns viewed him - and, by extension, what his next contract could have looked like.
Brooks already earned his payday with what he brought last season. He posted a career-high 20.2 points per game in 2025-26, a scoring jump that helped lock in the extension.
But Phoenix may not be asking him to do the same things this year. With Miles Bridges added, Brooks is almost certain to get fewer shots and put up smaller numbers.
The bigger wrinkle is Williams. Without the center, head coach Jordan Ott may have to lean on smaller lineups just to compensate for the team’s lack of size.
That would make Brooks one of the natural choices to spend more time in the paint, where his physical style fits best. He’s built to battle, to absorb contact, to make life miserable for wings and forwards.
But if he’s asked to handle true centers too often, the mismatch could get ugly in a hurry.
That’s the risk that would have mattered if Brooks were still waiting on a new deal. Instead, the money is already in place, and that changes everything.
He can attack the challenge without wondering whether a rough stretch might dent his value. And if he handles the assignment well, it could only help his standing.
In that sense, Brooks could end up as one of the more interesting trade chips around. If he shows he can thrive in Williams’ absence - especially with Khaman Maluach not ready for a starting role - he might be building his value for the next contract, whether that comes in Phoenix or somewhere else.
The Suns, to be clear, would prefer not to lose him. From their point of view, the extension was fair value for a player with Brooks’ talent and edge, especially on a deal that gives them some flexibility. That kind of combination is hard to find.
And there’s always the gamble of betting on yourself. Players like Jonathan Kuminga and Dennis Schroder have done it before and come up short. Brooks got his money first, and now he gets to play through the pressure without the contract hanging over him.
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Phoenix has no intention of moving him and still plans to build around him, but the very fact that another contender would line up so quickly speaks to the larger risk for the Suns. When a player of Bookers stature is the axis of your team, every bit of outside interest becomes a test of conviction, and every front-office move gets measured against the same question: how long can you keep the core intact while the rest of the league keeps circling? [Read more 🡒]