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The Memphis Grizzlies will not be bringing forward Dillon Brooks back to the team for the 2023-24 season “under any circumstances”, according to Shams Charania. Brooks is a free agent after the Grizzlies were eliminated from the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Memphis Grizzlies have informed pending free agent Dillon Brooks that he will not be brought back under any circumstances, league sources say.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 2, 2023
Full story and details at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/CRztYTgYi7
Brooks was a lightning rod for many fans in the series, as he consistently poked LeBron James and the Lakers for their age, lack of toughness and overall sense of entitlement. This is not any different from what the Grizzlies have generally said about James and the Lakers, but Brooks made it a point to repeat these comments. When questioned about them as the series went on, Brooks backtracked his statements as “a media ploy” to paint him a bad light. At the conclusion of the series, Brooks left the locker room before media could enter. That resulted in a fine.
The Grizzlies were likely going to move on from Brooks anyway, as his subpar shooting numbers weren’t masked by his impressive defensive chops. The forward’s actions throughout the series made it easier to cut him loose in harsher terms.
It looks like David Roddy will have a bigger role in the Grizzlies rotation next year with Brooks out. We’ll see if any other franchise takes on Brooks, especially given how messy his exit from Memphis was this year.