OKLAHOMA CITY — Dillon Brooks betting on himself led to a seven-figure reward.
The fiery veteran forward received a $1 million bonus for the Phoenix Suns making the playoffs this season.
“That was from the Houston deal,” said Brooks, before the 119-84 loss to defending NBA champion Oklahoma City in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series at Paycom Center on Sunday.
Brooks signed a four-year, $80-million deal with the Rockets in July 2023.
“Trusting in myself and knowing I can get a team to the playoffs regardless of where they stand. Just betting on myself as an incentive.”
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The Rockets finished next-to-last in the Western Conference with a 22-60 record in 2022-23, the year before Brooks arrived in a sign-and-trade deal from the Memphis Grizzlies.
This was a win-win.
The Rockets wanted to return to the playoffs and Brooks, who had already impacted the culture with the Grizzlies, was looking to do the same in Houston.
Two years later, the Rockets finished second in the West and made the postseason with Brooks having a major say in their turnaround.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams, right, passes the ball around Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) during the first half in Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Oklahoma City.
Houston ended up trading Brooks to the Suns in the Kevin Durant deal, along with Jalen Green and the 10th overall pick in the 2025 draft, 7-footer Khaman Maluach.
This season was viewed as a rebuild for the Suns with Durant traded and Bradley Beal bought out, but Brooks had different ideas.
“When the trade happened, JG and I talked about keeping it going,” said Brooks, after Friday’s Play-In Tournament win over the Golden State Warriors to advance to the playoffs as an eighth seed.
The Suns returned to the playoffs after missing it last season with just 36 wins, and Brooks got his $1 million bonus. Brooks averaged a career-high 20.2 points in his first regular season in Phoenix.
Brooks began his fifth NBA playoff run Sunday with his third team. He reflected on his first playoff appearance in 2021 when he was with the Grizzlies.
Like Phoenix this season, Memphis battled through the play-in to reach the playoffs.
The Grizzlies lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the play-in, but they defeated the Warriors at home for the eighth seed.
Memphis won Game 1 over the No. 1-seeded Utah Jazz in the first round, but it lost the next four games to lose the best-of-7 series in five.
“We weren’t fully ready,” Brooks said before Sunday’s Game 1. “We had a squad, but I learned not too high, not too low. Got to have adjustments. We didn’t have adjustments then. We just kept the same game plan trying to make it work, but you got to make adjustments sometimes. Now my fifth time in here, I don’t have too many jitters.”
Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks, left, talks to referee Mark Lindsay, right, during the first half in Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Oklahoma City.
Having had his share of playoff experiences in a city spending multiple days on the road, Brooks said he’ll spend considerable time watching film. Game 2 is on Wednesday, April 22, at Paycom Center.
“Get a meal, watch film,” Brooks said before Game 1. “Luckily, we’re in OKC. There isn’t really anything to go do. I’ll just lock into more film, get reps. You’re going to watch a couple of playoff games to see what you can learn from end-of-game situations and just keep on going and going and going.”
Phoenix was off on Monday and will practice on Tuesday.
“Watch the last game you played, watch the film that they give you, different things like that,” Brooks continued. “See how players are playing, but I just spend time watching the game, watching film. That’s all that matters.”
