NBA insider Chris Mannix sees a world in which the Miami Heat add Memphis Grizzles wing Dillon Brooks this offseason.
Brooks is a pending free agent, and his time with the Grizzlies is reportedly coming to an end. Mannix spoke about the idea of the Heat adding the 27-year-old during a recent podcast appearance.
“Every time you see kind of Duncan Robinson running around there defensively or Tyler Herro before him, you know they could use a defensive-minded wing, and I could see him finding his way down there and the Heat being aggressive and trying to get a guy at a relatively bargain basement price,” he said. “That, to me, that feels like a frontrunner right now.”
Brooks made a name for himself this season by emerging as one of the biggest villains in the NBA. He made headlines for having beef with multiple star players, including LeBron James and Draymond Green, and constantly got under the skin of folks around the NBA world.
He doesn’t bring a lot to the table on the offensive end, but he’s a very valuable defender and would give the Heat a capable rotation option at the wing position. Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr., who won this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award, believes that Brooks has been the best defender in the NBA for years.
Some Heat fans would likely need to get past Brooks’ offensive deficiencies in order to feel good about the team signing him. Over his first few NBA seasons, it looked like he was on his way to becoming a valuable 3-and-D wing, but it’s hard to give him that label now that he’s shot just 32.1 percent from deep over the past two seasons.
One thing is certain: Brooks joining the Heat would make headlines. His antics may bother a lot of folks, but his intensity would help him fit into the unique culture that Miami has created.
The Heat will likely start taking a closer look at their offseason prospects once their 2022-23 season comes to an end. Right now, there’s no end in sight.
Miami is locked in a battle with the New York Knicks in the second round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, with the series currently tied at one game apiece. The Heat are three wins away from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in four seasons, and time will tell if that’s in the cards.
