'Crazy' Dillon Brooks looks ahead after impacting Suns' turnaround

Dillon Brooks is crazy.

“That’s an accurate thing to say,” Allen said.

Brooks wasn’t even 12 hours removed from the Phoenix Suns being eliminated from the playoffs, and already got in a workout Tuesday at the team’s practice facility.

“When you’re around him, you appreciate his work ethic, the drive,” Gillespie said. “Like he was in here this morning working out. There’s a craziness to it, but you respect it and you really appreciate it. It makes you want to get better. It’s something that will really drive you and I think will really drive the group.”

Brooks just completed a career season in his first year in Phoenix. He was a cosmic force for the Suns as they returned to the playoffs after missing out last season with a 36-46 record.

The fiery veteran forward who racked up an NBA-best 17 technical fouls in 56 regular-season games this season, averaged 20.2 points in the regular season and led the Suns in scoring in the playoffs at 26 points a game, both career-high numbers.

“He’s a good one to have on the team,” said Allen, who was a teammate of Brooks in Memphis. “His energy, his competitiveness. I heard he was showing some guys clips from the game (Monday) like we still have another game tomorrow. His mindset is all about basketball, winning and being competitive. It’s good to have a guy like that on the team.”

Brooks is looking to build off that right now, not later.

“Offseason starts now,” Brooks said. “I love to work on my game. The series we just played opened up my mind to another way of getting to my shot and affecting the game. With the momentum that we have and that I have this season, I just don’t want to take a break.”

The Suns were swept in the first round by the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, losing Game 4 on Monday at home.

This is serving as motivation for Brooks to continue working on his game and help push the Suns beyond this point next season in the playoffs.

“I’m glad we figured out how to get there after the play-in,” Brooks told the Arizona Republic, following Monday’s game. The Suns advanced to the playoffs as an eighth seed with a 45-27 record after beating the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament.

“Made it, made our goals and to get a little taste of how it feels," Brooks said. "It’s my first time getting swept (in five postseasons). So that sweep is on my mind the whole summer.”

The early postseason exit doesn’t diminish how Brooks greatly drove the culture change of the franchise with his intensity, work ethic and play.

“I worked for it,” Brooks said. He received a $1 million bonus for Phoenix making the playoffs. “I wasn't prepared for it at the time, but I worked for it. I wanted a great season regardless of where I was at, and I'm just happy that (Suns general manager Brian Gregory) and the Suns traded for me and believed in me and understood how I work. And what I can do for the team and just let me go and be myself and I’m happy for that.”

The Suns traded Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets for Brooks, Jalen Green and the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Khaman Maluach.

“And I'm happy for this season and happy the work that we all put in, and now I'm just looking for what's going on the summer,” Brooks continued. “What's going on? What's the next steps for us as a team and how we can get better.”

Brooks shot 43.8% from 3 in the OKC series to go along with averaging six rebounds. For his career, Brooks is a 34.9% 3-point shooter who averages just 3.3 rebounds.

"Hats off to him," Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said as he and Brooks, his fellow Canadian, talked after the game. "It's impressive to redefine yourself this late into your career."

The 30-year-old Brooks just finished his ninth NBA season.

"Very impressive," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Usually young guys get, like for myself, it was my second year when I got to redefine who I was as a basketball player. To do so this late is pretty impressive, but it just goes to show the work that he puts in. He's a worker. He's always in the gym. The work pays off."

'We were a new team'

At Brooks’ previous stop, Houston went from 41 wins his first year there to 52 victories his second season in finishing second in the Western Conference in the regular season.

The Suns finished seventh in the conference at the end of this regular season with 45 wins despite having multiple players out for multiple games with injuries.

“We were a new team,” Suns All-Star Devin Booker said after Monday’s game.

“I think Jalen missed 50 games. I missed 20. Dillon missed 20. People had just projected 28, 29 wins on the season and ended with 45 and I still feel like we dropped five to 10. So going into next season with the same core, we have a better understanding that those games in October, November, December actually matter and they matter a lot going into seeding.”

Brooks wants to see Phoenix make a seismic leap next season.

“I'm ready, and I know all these other guys are going to be on board and ready,” Brooks said. “Can’t wait to run it back.”

Brooks will eventually look to get away later this summer.

Somewhere like Saint Barthélemy or Bahamas where there’s beaches, water and beverages.

“Kick back, get a tan and have my first drink,” Brooks said.

Brooks then winked and smiled.

That got a chuckle out of the media at the exit interviews Tuesday, but it wasn’t a laughing matter back in early March when he was arrested in Scottsdale on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Brooks was already a fan favorite, but the support he received through that situation and at his meet-and-greet later that month at Arizona Mills shopping center in Tempe confirmed to him the love Suns faithful have for him.

“During the games, all the support,” Brooks said. “And even after the last game, even though we got swept, a lot of fans are saying, ‘Thank you. Thanks for bringing us back.’ I’m greatly appreciative and there’s more to come. That’s the foundation to our team and to our success and we’ve got to match it and do more.”

Brooks is up for an extension this summer.

The Suns can offer him a four-year max of $125.4 million after the 2026 NBA Finals in June.

He just ended the third year of a four-year, $86-million deal. Brooks will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2026-27 season.

“He’s so hungry like every day, but then once he steps outside the lines, he’s one of the best people to be around and one of the best teammates,” Gillespie said. “I think everybody rallied around him and I think everybody has got a ton of respect for who he is and what he does as a player, as well.”