The image of Dillon Brooks sitting courtside at the Crypto.com Arena watching the Los Angeles Lakers face elimination in the playoffs still lives rent-free in fans’ heads.
As the offseason arrives, there may be a place for Brooks in Los Angeles. Lakers reporter Jovan Buha recently named the Canadian forwards among players the team should prioritize.
“If Dillon Brooks becomes available in Phoenix. If they determine that they’re just not going anywhere [and] they want to have a version of a fire sale, I think you could go that route,” Buha said.
The Lakers are seeking stars to improve their defensive game and Brooks is a wing that can bring that. His physical, pesky defense helped reshape the Phoenix Suns’ defensive identity this season.
Phoenix’s Stance on Brooks: Chance for Lakers to Acquire?
.Brooks joined the Suns in July 2025 as part of a seven-team deal that sent Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets. It was a chance at a fresh start and he was to be a major star alongside Devin Booker.
Brooks, 30, started all 56 games he played, logging 30.4 minutes per night, and saw a significant jump in his scoring. He went from averaging 14.0 points to 20.2 points per game.
No one knew Brooks had an excellent scoring touch before this season and the Lakers can benefit from a 20-point-per-game player to add to the roster.
The world in which Brooks moves to L.A. is small because the Suns have shown no intention of letting him go. He will be an unrestricted free agent next offseason after his four-year contract expires, but with his showing this season, Phoenix will try to re-sign him.
The Suns made the playoffs this year and only lost to the No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder. That isn’t a hard one for them considering that OKC also swept the Lakers who ordinarily should be better than the Suns.
After losing Durant, Phoenix will not entertain the idea of moving a major star this quickly but rather build off it.
Weighing Feasibility Against What The L.A. Needs
Acquiring Brooks looks doable but the Lakers’ player-search demands that they cast a wider net this offseason. With cap constraints and flexibility in mind, the Lakers cannot go overboard with their trade options.
Brooks’ expiring-year situation offers some appeal on a short-term or longer-term piece depending on negotiations.
Any chance of a deal would require Phoenix to pivot dramatically. They would want a salary matching star and asset exchanges. But the Lakers still have their own roster retooling to do with a number of stars hitting the open market.
Chemistry fit will always be a question with Brooks who has a reputation as a hot headed star. However, the Suns didn’t have any issues and instead conformed to Brook’s game. The Lakers need a defensive identity to conform to and don’t have all the luxury to get one, as such, players like Brooks are a decent shout.
As the offseason progresses, the Lakers will be faced with a lot of tough decisions but they will have to get it right in order to get a championship core around Luka Doncic.