Another high-profile free agent that was initially linked to the Milwaukee Bucks has been plucked off the market. This is after it was announced on Saturday that Dillon Brooks, formerly of the Memphis Grizzlies, has now agreed to a massive $80 million deal with the Houston Rockets for four years.
Brooks has long been rumored to a potential move to Houston so this does not come as a huge shock. However, more than a few folks out there were taken aback by the amount of money the Rockets decided to shell out on the enigmatic forward.
Dillon Brooks Reportedly Met With Milwaukee Bucks Before Agreeing Deal With Houston Rockets
According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, Brooks held several meetings with opposing teams even before he sat down with the Rockets brass. Along with the Los Angeles Lakers, it was the Milwaukee Bucks that were identified as one of at least two teams that entertained a meeting with the 27-year-old.
What was discussed in the aforementioned meeting was not revealed, but it is clear that Brooks and the Bucks failed to agree on a number. As it turns out, the 27-year-old wanted much more than what Milwaukee was able/willing to offer.
It is also possible that Dillon Brooks took these meetings in order to bump up his price a bit once he entered negotiations with the Rockets. Sounds to me like his plan worked.
Houston Rockets Spent BIG On Dillon Brooks
After agreeing to sign Fred VanVleet from the Toronto Raptors to a whopping $130 million max deal, it is clear that the Rockets were not done. They still had a considerable amount of cap space available, and they decided to use a huge chunk of it on Brooks. Dillon’s new deal comes out to $20 million per season, which in all honesty, was a lot more than what most folks expected, especially considering how his season with the Grizzlies ended.
In case you forgot, it was Brooks who poked the bear, so to speak, when Memphis faced off against the Lakers in the second round of the playoffs. The controversial forward had a few things to say about LeBron James before and throughout their postseason matchup. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer seemed to have taken Brooks’ slander personally and he made sure that Dillon and the rest of the Grizzlies would pay for their disrespect. The Lakers came out of the series as 4-2 winners, which concluded with a embarrassing 40-point beatdown in LA’s series-clinching win in Game 6.
Clearly, this is exactly the type of smoke Houston wants. Love him or hate him, you have to admit that Dillon Brooks is indeed able to impact the game, especially on the defensive end. This man never backs down from anyone and perhaps his is the tough locker room presence the Rockets have been looking for. Whether or not he’s worth $80 million, however, is an altogether different question.
For More Wisconsin Sports:
Follow me on Twitter at @PaoloSongcoNBA, and follow us @WiSportsHeroics. Also, check out our Merchandise Here! Get 20% off with the code “WSH.” You can also reach out to Paolo Songco via email at pao.songco@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Wisconsin sports, click here! Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks, Wisconsin Badgers.
