This offseason, the Memphis Grizzlies have been all over the place in the trade market. For a while, many fans and experts believed that Jaren Jackson Jr. was at risk of being traded, among other players. In hindsight, that was a bit unrealistic, but the Grizzlies somehow topped that with an even more unexpected move.
They traded Jonas Valanciunas to the New Orleans Pelicans.
The move will ultimately benefit both the Grizzlies and the Pelicans. On the negative side of things, this trade has Memphis fans worrying that nobody is safe, which could be true. That said, the Grizzlies know their starting point guard in Ja Morant isn’t going anywhere, but who else is untouchable?
On Wednesday, we learned that the Memphis Grizzlies would not be trading Dillon Brooks
Beyond Ja Morant, nobody on this team seems like they could reach “untouchable status.” Even Jaren Jackson Jr., a former 4th-overall pick, seemed susceptible, even if it took a lot to ship him out. This week, we quickly discovered that the Grizz had another untouchable on the roster.
That player is Dillon Brooks.
According to LegionHoopsRoss, an NBA insider and founder of LegionHoops, the New York Knicks reached out to the Memphis Grizzlies in an attempt to acquire Dillon Brooks via trade.
Scoop: The Knicks tried trading for Grizzlies guard Dillion Brooks - but were denied multiple times.
— Hoops Provider (@HoopsProvider_) July 28, 2021
Knicks offered one of their 1st round picks this year & more - per league source.
Allegedly, they made multiple offers, all of which were rejected by the Grizzlies. This means two things. Firstly, the NBA is catching on to Dillon Brooks’ value, which skyrocketing last season as he emerged as one of the league’s premier perimeter defenders. Secondly, Memphis has made it clear that DB isn’t going anywhere.
That said, LegionHoopsRoss is known to jump the gun on some NBA scoops, so everything he says should be taken with a grain of salt. This should be especially considered as Brooks’ first name was spelled wrong in the tweet.
Even so, if there’s even an ounce of truth to this, Memphis should feel good about the future of their defensive guru of a wing player. Brooks scored 17.1 points per game last season on 42% shooting, increasing his numbers in both categories. He averaged 1.2 steals per game, which tied for best on the team alongside Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton.
Most notably, he proved himself to be an elite perimeter defender when he locked down Stephen Curry in the second game of the 2021 play-in tournament. That said, Curry did still score 39 points, but Brooks made him work for each one.
At the end of the day, however, Brooks’ value cannot be put into words. The soon-to-be 5th-year wing embodies the energy of this young Grizzlies team. He’s a huge leader on and off the court and an invaluable player on the team. He’s like Draymond Green in Golden State.
Outside of Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks, you may not find another untouchable player on the team.