Dillon Brooks was absent from the Houston Rockets opening trade proposal for Kevin Durant at the 2025 NBA trade deadline, a factor that complicated negotiations with the Phoenix Suns. The Rockets only entered the conversations ahead of the trade deadline at the last minute as the Suns were instead engaged with the Golden State Warriors. 

The Rockets did not include the veteran forward in their initial offer, which sources indicate created friction during deadline discussions. Brooks' exclusion proved to be a sticking point in the negotiation process. The Rockets instead offered Jabari Smith Jr. at that time. Smith went on to sign a five-year, $125 million extension with the Rockets last offseason. 

Brooks had been a polarizing presence in Houston since signing with the team in 2023. The defensive-minded wing averaged modest offensive numbers while maintaining his reputation as one of the league's most physical perimeter defenders.

“The deal was never gonna get done without Jalen and Dillon in the deal,” Mat Ishbia said. “Those are the two players we wanted. It wasn’t, ‘Hey, how do we fill a salary with these numbers?’ It was, ‘In order to have Kevin Durant on your team, I want Dillon Brooks to help me with my culture and my identity. I want Jalen Green as a 23-year-old up-and-coming leading scorer. You’re gonna get a Hall of Fame player. And then we obviously negotiate draft picks involved with it as well. But Dilllon Brooks was targeted, just like Jalen Green was targeted. …The Kevin Durant trade turned out to be everything we wanted it to be — and then some.”

Brooks is signed through the 2026-27 season on a $19.99 million contract that has descended in value since he signed the four-year, $86 million deal with Houston in 2023.