Dillon Brooks and Draymond Green have entered various eras over the years. But apparently, they were once almost exchanged with each other. The NBA Insider explained what happened.
The Golden State Warriors and Dillon Brooks have a serious history at this point. In 2022, when they played the Memphis Grizzlies in the playoffs, the 29-year-old was the main villain in the story.
The beef was rehashed in the 2025 NBA playoffs, with Brooks controversially claiming he was targeting Stephen Curry’s injuries. But it wasn’t Steph who called him.
After the series ended, Draymond Green slammed Brooks for his sportsman-like behavior following Game 7. It’s safe to say there’s a lot of bad blood there.
But NBA Insiders are currently putting a twist on the story. He revealed that in 2023 the Green and Canadian stars were nearly trading with each other, explaining how the trade fell.
It’s strange to think of Memphis’ Draymond, and imagining Brooks as a warrior is not a boundary line. But if it wasn’t Tyus Jones, that’s exactly what could have happened.
Speaking about the future of the Warriors, Ringer’s Logan Murdoch explained how Guard turned out, an important piece that didn’t fit this potential trade.
“In the summer of 2023, there was a deal to send Draymond to Memphis,” said Logan Murdoch on the Zack Lowe Show.
“In that trade, Stephen Adams would have returned to Golden State along with Dillon Brooks and Taius Jones.
“The reason the deal ended is because Tyus Jones was revalued by Washington (Porzingis Marcus Smart Trade).”
Brooks was eventually traded for the Rockets, and Draymond stayed in San Francisco. Neither player is known for packing stat sheets, but comparing productions is interesting.
The impact on other teams has been different, but let’s take a look at what numbers the Warriors defensive stopper and the Rocket guy have posted since 2023.
| player | point | rebound | assist | I’ll steal | block |
| Draymond Green | 8.8 | 6.6 | 5.8 | 1.3 | 1.0 |
| Dillon Brooks | 13.4 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.2 |
Greene has a predominance over all major statistical categories other than scoring. It’s not his role in Golden State either, so it works.
The main piece in this Warriors deal would have been Stephen Adams. But even his production would not have made up for the unique abilities that Brooks has.