Dillon Brooks #24 of the Memphis Grizzlies sits on the bench against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half in Game Six of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 28, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images/AFP
The Memphis Grizzlies informed firebrand forward Dillon Brooks that he won’t be back with the team next season, The Athletic reported Tuesday.
The 27-year-old pending unrestricted free agent is not welcome back “under any circumstances,” per the report.
The Grizzlies notified Brooks about their decision to part ways during exit meetings after their Western Conference first-round playoff series loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
That series reportedly was the breaking point for Memphis, with Brooks making headlines for calling LeBron James “old” and “tired” and later punching the Lakers superstar in the groin area, earning a Game 3 ejection.
Following the Grizzlies’ lopsided 125-85 elimination loss at Los Angeles in Game 6 on Friday night, Brooks fled the arena without speaking to reporters. The NBA fined him $25,000 on Sunday for violating league rules governing media access.
Brooks finished Game 6 with 10 points, four rebounds and two assists. For the series, he averaged 10.5 points on 31.2 percent shooting with 3.0 rebounds.
He helped the Grizzlies earn the West’s No. 2 seed by averaging 14.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 73 games (all starts) in the regular season.
Brooks, a second-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, averaged 14.5 points, 3.1 boards and 2.1 assists in 345 career games (318 starts) with Memphis.