NBA Rumors: Insiders Say Dillon Brooks Seeking Contract Worth More Than $12.4M MLE

The Memphis Grizzlies reportedly grew so tired of Dillon Brooks' antics that they won't bring the 3-and-D swingman back at any price.

That doesn't mean Brooks has given up on landing a big contract elsewhere.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported Brooks will seek a contract worth more than the $12.4 million non-taxpayers' midlevel exception. Brooks made an average of $11.7 million over his previous contract with the Grizzlies, so it would make some level of sense that he'd want a raise.

The 27-year-old emerged as a solid two-way option on the wing, averaging 14.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists while being selected to the All-Defensive second team. Taken purely by his on-paper resume, there would be no reason to believe Brooks would struggle to find offers exceeding the MLE.

That said, on-paper performance is far from the only factor in Brooks' case.

His reputation as an irritant backfired in a major way during Memphis' first-round loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, as LeBron James seemingly found joy in toying with the boisterous Brooks. Meanwhile, Brooks failed to back up his tough talk, shooting a disastrous 31.2 percent from the floor during the series.

Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman criticized the team for what he called "self-created distractions" during his press conference after Memphis was eliminated from the playoffs.

The antics seemingly cost Brooks his job in Memphis and will likely depress his value on the free-agent market. If it does, it's possible Brooks may have to jump at a short-term MLE offer to rebound his value.