Apr 2, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks (24) warms up before an NBA game against the Chicago Bulls at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
The Memphis Grizzlies lost to the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. Changes could be coming after an unexpected ending to their season.
The Memphis Grizzlies survived plenty of off-court drama and injuries and still won the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. But getting upset by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round could bring big changes and they are a sneaky squad to make a blockbuster move this off-season. They have plenty of picks for the future and contracts to move for matching the salaries of any stars who become available.
Memphis Grizzlies who won’t be back next season: 3. Dillon Brooks
This one feels like the most obvious one with the recent reporting by Shams Charania that the Grizzlies will not be bringing back Brooks next season. He is expected to be a big free agent this offseason but Memphis has had enough.
In his career with the Grizzlies, he has played tough defense but hero ball on offense, taking shots he probably shouldn’t given his shaky shooting percentages. He also made headlines in their series against the Lakers due to his trash-talking to LeBron James, which seemed to backfire tremendously.
Brooks is a very solid role player in this league but the Grizzlies don’t need a player who creates headlines and doesn’t play team ball. In their season series loss to the Lakers, Brooks was left wide open for 3 many times and couldn’t convert.
Brooks will have suitors this offseason but there are a lot of questions about his future. He has a lot of Draymond Green potential for the right team, but the question will be can fit into that role.