Dillon Brooks Mocked by NBA Fans Amid Rumors He Won't Return to Grizzlies

We don't know where Dillon Brooks will end up this offseason, but we know one place where he won't end up.

The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Tuesday that the Memphis Grizzlies told Brooks "he will not be brought back under any circumstances."

The 27-year-old was the face of Memphis' first-round loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The contrast between him trash-talking LeBron James after a Game 2 victory and then making himself unavailable to reporters when the Grizzlies started losing was impossible to ignore.

The extent to which Brooks became a source of mockery on social media this postseason was reinforced when Charania's report dropped:

However, others are wondering whether Memphis will do some more soul-searching, because the team's exit arguably reflected a deeper problem.

In February 2022, star point guard Ja Morant said the Grizzlies "climb up the chimney" and "ain't ducking no smoke." Almost exactly one year later, Morant complained about how the team was perceived.

In an anonymous poll conducted by The Athletic's Sam Amick and Josh Robbins, one player said the Grizzlies "talk when they're winning" and "don't say s--t when they're losing."

By letting Brooks walk as a free agent, some believe he could be unfairly scapegoated.

General manager Zach Kleiman foreshadowed the organization's approach with Brooks when he said the Grizzlies had "some self-created distractions in the series and along the way." Kleiman also appeared to hint at a pivot toward veteran additions to atone for what happened this season.

Fans will be eager to see what that translates into this offseason.