Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks appears to be harboring some resentment against his former team.
The Memphis Grizzlies declined to negotiate a new contract with Brooks after his contract expired at the end of last season. The team reportedly informed Brooks that they were not bringing him back “under any circumstances.”
Brooks recently opened up to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix about his unceremonious exit from the team that drafted him in 2018.
The polarizing perimeter defender claims that the Grizzlies turned him into a scapegoat.
Brooks, once a celebrated player who represented their team culture, felt like he was discarded by Memphis without remorse following the team’s playoff exit against the Lakers.
“What I didn’t like about Memphis was they allowed that so they can get out of the woodwork, and then I’m the scapegoat of it all,” said Brooks. “That’s what I didn’t appreciate. And then ultimately they’ll come to me on the low, as men, one on one and tell me something, but then not defend me when everything went down.”
Brooks had spent six seasons with the Grizzlies. He was often tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best player. His tenacious defense and brash attitude helped to define the team, but Brooks’ big mouth also got the Grizzlies in trouble. After he called out LeBron James and failed to back that up in the playoffs, the Grizzlies wanted nothing to do with him.
Brooks ended up signing a massive contract with the Rockets this offseason.
The 27-year-old has started in all nine Rockets games thus far, averaging 13.7 points on an impressive 55.1% shooting from the field.
