CLEVELAND — Earlier this week, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Memphis Grizzlies had informed Dillon Brooks that they wouldn't be re-signing him under any circumstances this offseason.
Could the polarizing swingman sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers?
According to one sportsbook, while it's not necessarily likely, the Cavs have the best odds of signing Brooks, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. At +700, DraftKings has Cleveland as the team likeliest to sign the Oregon product, who made headlines for his unsuccessful baiting of LeBron James during the Grizzlies' first-round series defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The full list of odds for Brooks' next team is as follows:
- Cleveland Cavaliers +700
- Phoenix Suns +800
- Miami Heat +1300
- Indiana Pacers +1300
- Dallas Mavericks +1500
- Detroit Pistons +1500
- Sacramento Kings +2000
- Utah Jazz +2000
- Charlotte Hornets +2000
- Portland Trail Blazers +2200
- San Antonio Spurs +2500
- Toronto Raptors +2500
- Atlanta Hawks +2500
- Minnesota Timberwolves +2500
- Golden State Warriors +2500
- Washington Wizards +3000
- Philadelphia 76ers +3000
- Los Angeles Lakers +3000
- Brooklyn Nets +3000
- Boston Celtics +3000
- New Orleans Pelicans +3500
- Denver Nuggets +3500
- Orlando Magic +3500
- Los Angeles Clippers +3500
- Oklahoma City Thunder +4000
- Milwaukee Bucks +4000
- Memphis Grizzlies +5000
- New York Knicks +5000
While the Cavs might have the best odds of signing Brooks, +700 implies just a 12.5 percent chance that Cleveland actually signs the 27-year-old swingman.
Although the Cavs will enter the offseason looking to improve on the wing following their first-round defeat to the New York Knicks, Brooks' shoddy 3-point shooting could be cause for concern. This past season, he made just 32.6 percent of his attempts from long range and hasn't shot better than 34.4 percent on 3-point attempts since the 2019-20 campaign.
Moreover, among the players who have taken issue with Brooks' on-court antics is Cavs All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, who was ejected -- as was Brooks -- as a part of a scuffle that began when the Grizzlies small forward appeared to hit him in the groin earlier this season.
"That’s just who he is," Mitchell told reporters of Brooks after the game. "We’ve seen it a bunch in this league with him. Him and I have had our personal battles for years. Quite frankly, I’ve been busting his a-- for years. Playoffs, regular season.
"There’s no place for that in the game. And you have to protect yourself at the end of the day. This has been brewing for years with me and other guys in the league. You all see it. This isn’t new."