The Phoenix Suns have significantly altered their roster for the 2025-26 season, trading Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. In their place, Dillon Brooks—known for his defensive intensity and villainous persona—joins Devin Booker and Jalen Green. The Suns embrace Brooks’ toughness, hoping his presence will provide a new identity and defensive edge to the team.
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### A Dramatic Roster Shakeup
The Phoenix Suns enter the 2025-26 season with a dramatically reshaped roster. Sadly, it no longer features Kevin Durant or Bradley Beal. Instead, a new supporting cast forms around Devin Booker, with Dillon Brooks as a key highlight.
Once seen as a controversial figure, Brooks arrives in Phoenix with a reputation as the NBA’s self-proclaimed villain—an identity that the Suns accepted with open arms. In fact, they actively pursued Brooks following a transformative offseason.
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### Why the Dillon Brooks Move Makes Sense for the Phoenix Suns
At first glance, adding Brooks might seem like a gamble for a franchise coming off a turbulent year. But the fit is clear. His defense and willingness to take on the toughest assignments will free up Booker and Jalen Green to focus on scoring.
Brooks’ improved shooting—nearly 40 percent from three-point range on high volume last season—gives Phoenix a reliable floor spacer. His intensity, often criticized elsewhere, can set the tone for a young group trying to forge a new identity in the Western Conference.
Phoenix embraced a villain, and his persona could be the piece of the missing puzzle as the team prepares for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
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### Dillon Brooks Embraces the Villain Role in Phoenix
Brooks made waves during Suns media day when asked about his on-court persona.
“Memphis didn’t want me. Trying to figure out a new path in the NBA. I had to look myself in the mirror and say, ‘How can I be wanted?’ The way I play—smash-mouth, physical, in-your-face type of game—is where I got the villain [role from],” Brooks explained.
His gritty style has long sparked heated debates, but in Phoenix, that edge is being celebrated rather than criticized.
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### Team and Leadership Praise
Suns owner Mat Ishbia confirmed the team specifically targeted Brooks in the trade that sent Durant to Houston.
First-year head coach Jordan Ott agreed, praising Brooks’ intensity and describing him as one of the hardest workers he has seen. Brooks’ toughness and defensive mindset offer an edge the Suns have lacked in recent years.
Devin Booker also spoke about his new teammate, revealing, “[Dillon Brooks] called me immediately the day the trade went down. The guy you hate when he’s not on your team, but you embrace him when he is. I think that whole reputation has taken away from what type of player he is.”
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### Commitment On and Off the Court
Brooks has already put in extensive time at the Suns facility, showing the same relentless approach that made him a defensive anchor in Houston.
Off the court, he has pledged to work with communities around Phoenix and mentor young athletes, signaling a long-term commitment to the city as well as the team.
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