Memphis Grizzlies Make The Right Call, Won't Be Bringing Dillon Brooks Back Next Season

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Dillon Brooks will not be a member of the Memphis Grizzlies next season. And after what transpired this postseason, it's not hard to understand why.

The Athletic's Shams Charania was the first to report the news that Brooks will not be returning to the Grizz "under any circumstances." Brooks was told about the Grizzlies’ decision to move on in exit meetings with team officials in recent days, sources told the NBA insider.

It's also worth noting that, according to Charania, the Grizzlies made contract extension offers to Brooks earlier in the season, but the former Oregon Duck rejected them.

What the Grizzlies were going to do with Brooks was one of the biggest questions surrounding the franchise heading into the 2022-23 campaign. In the final year of his contract, some assumed that the team could move on from him prior to the NBA trade deadline, but that date passed.

Perhaps a deep playoff run and a strong performance from Brooks could have earned him a new contract this offseason with Memphis, but the exact opposite reality unfolded.

Dillon Brooks' time with the Memphis Grizzlies is up. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

Dillon Brooks' Time With Memphis Had Run Out

Brooks called LeBron James "old" before being cooked by arguably the greatest basketball player to ever live. He then punched James below the belt in Game 3 and was ejected from the game. Beyond his poor efforts on both sides of the floor, he declined to speak with the media after doing nothing but run his mouth and was hit with a $25,000 fine by the NBA.

While all of that unfolded over a six-game series, Brooks was already on thin ice with Memphis fans with his way-too-happy trigger from three-point land and ability to shoot the Grizzlies out of games. He was booed during a home game against the Chicago Bulls during the regular season for his inability to stop shooting the basketball.

Brooks carried a cap-hit of $11.4 million with the Grizzlies this past season while averaging 14.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game during the regular season. The former second-round pick shot a career-low 39.6% from the field for Memphis this season.

Brooks does have the ability to play lockdown defense and can get streaky offensively, meaning another NBA team will sign him this offseason. But it was clear his time in Memphis had run out.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.