5 Houston Rockets at risk of being traded this summer

4. Dillon Brooks

How can we describe the Dillon Brooks experience in Houston? We'll go with "confusing". Brooks' 2023-24 season has been confusing.

He's an ace defender, right? Well then, explain why Brooks boasts a -0.1 Defensive Box Plus/Minus (DBPM).

Granted, defensive metrics can't capture everything. Unfortunately, this largely matches the eye test. Brooks plays hard, but he's been underwhelming on the defensive end. With Amen Thompson and Tari Eason (in a smaller sample size) lapping him by that same metric, Brooks could be expendible.

Offensively, the Rockets could certainly use an upgrade. Brooks was a servicable floor spacer for most of the season, but due to a recent slump, he's regressed to just 35.3% from three-point range on the season. He also a tendency to commandeer possessions. Brooks can be a bail-out option, but a self-created possession from him is typically a suboptimal possession.

Unlike Landale, Brooks' deal isn't entirely team friendly. He's making $20 million a year for the foreseeable future. Still, he could be fodder in a blockbuster trade - in today's economy, $20 million is moveable.