Dillon Brooks trade looks even worse for the Rockets after the Olympics

The Houston Rockets targeted Dillon Brooks in the 2023 offseason. Head coach Ime Udoka wanted to upgrade their defense, and the franchised needed veterans to help their young talent blossom. Brooks was the best defensive wing on the market, and the Rockets rewarded him with a four-year $86 million contract in a sign-and-trade.

The 6’6 wing helped the Rockets make a 19-win improvement and get back to .500. Houston was still in the lottery, but is on the rise. There are still questions. Fans know their young talent will improve, but will that be enough to make the Rockets a serious contender?

Brooks played a key role for Canada in the 2024 Olympics. They were hoping for their first medal in basketball since 1936, but it did not happen. Brooks faltered in their most important contest and gave Rockets fans some pause.

Rockets’ trade for Dillon Brooks takes a downturn after the Olympics

Canada was expected to challenge Team USA for the gold medal in Paris. They were led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander but had ten other NBA players on their roster. Brooks played a key role as a stout defender. It helped Canada win all three of their group play games before the national team faltered.

Brooks brought out the trash talk ahead of the quarterfinals, but it backfired. Instead of shutting down Victor Wembanyama, Brooks made just one of his nine field goal attempts and finished with more fouls than points in an 82-73 loss to the hosts.

France eliminated Canada before going on to win the silver medal, and Brooks deserved plenty of the blame. It was a dismal shooting performance that showed the worst of the 6’6 wing. He must play a role and not think he is a superstar for his team to be at their best.

The Rockets wing averaged 11.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.2 turnovers during his four games at the 2024 Olympics. He shot just 40.5 percent from the field but made six of his 13 3-point attempts. Brooks faltered when Canada needed him most, which should be especially concerning for the Rockets if they make the playoffs.

The Houston Rockets need Dillon Brooks to be a 3-and-D wing. He is an elite defender and strong shooter from the corners but must embrace that role. Brooks thinks he is an elite scorer and the number one option. That is not ideal and negatively impacts his team. It happened again and the Canadians blew a golden opportunity at winning a medal in Paris.

Can Ime Udoka and the Rockets convince Brooks to be a role player? There was moderate success last season, but the 6’6 wing will keep trying to reach into his bag. This could be bad news for Houston over the next three years, but they wanted the experience on their roster.