Memphis Grizzlies (2017–2023) Brooks was drafted by the
Houston Rockets with the 45th pick in the
2017 NBA draft and then was immediately traded to the
Memphis Grizzlies. On July 21, 2017, the Grizzlies signed Brooks to his rookie scale contract. On October 18, 2017, during the Grizzlies' season opener, Brooks scored 19 points, the most points scored by a Canadian-born player in an NBA debut. On April 11, 2018, Brooks scored 36 points along with seven rebounds, one assist, and two steals in a 137–123 loss against the
Oklahoma City Thunder. In December 2018, Brooks was thought to be involved in a failed three-way trade between Memphis, the
Washington Wizards and the
Phoenix Suns; the trade faltered over confusion between Brooks and his similarly named teammate,
MarShon Brooks, as the Memphis front office did not intend to trade Dillon while the other teams expected him and not MarShon. On January 5, 2019, Brooks suffered from a ruptured ligament in his right big toe and underwent a successful surgery to repair it on January 11, 2019. Brooks missed the remainder of the 2018–19 season. Brooks began the 2019–20 season as the Grizzlies' starting shooting guard. After averaging 16.1 points per game over the first half of the season, on February 5, 2020, he signed a three-year, $35 million extension with the Grizzlies. On February 28, 2020, Brooks scored a season-high 32 points, along with getting two rebounds, one assist and one block in a 104–101 loss against the
Sacramento Kings. On May 23, 2021, Brooks made his NBA playoff debut, scoring a season-high 31 points, along with seven rebounds, to help the Grizzlies to a 112–109 Game 1 victory over the top-seeded
Utah Jazz. The Grizzlies would go on to get eliminated and lose the series in five games. On October 12, 2021, it was announced that Brooks would miss two to three weeks due to a fracture in his left hand. On December 19, he scored a career high 37 points in a 105–100 loss to the
Portland Trail Blazers. On January 8, 2022, during a 123–108 win over the
Los Angeles Clippers, Brooks suffered a left ankle injury. The next day, he was ruled out for 3-to-5 weeks with injury, which was diagnosed as an ankle sprain. On April 16, during Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs, Brooks scored 24 points in a 117–130 loss to the
Minnesota Timberwolves. In Game 2 of the 2022
Western Conference semifinals against the
Golden State Warriors, Brooks was assessed a
flagrant 2 and ejected after he chased down the Warriors'
Gary Payton II and hit him in the head when he was in the air, going up for a fast-break layup; Payton fell hard and fractured his left elbow. Brooks was suspended for Game 3 of the series. The Grizzlies would go on to lose the series in six games. On December 17, 2022, Brooks scored a team-leading 32 points during a 115–109 loss to the
Oklahoma City Thunder. On February 2, 2023, Brooks was assessed a flagrant 2 foul and ejected for punching
Cleveland Cavaliers player
Donovan Mitchell in the groin. The next day, the NBA suspended Brooks for one game without pay for his actions. On March 4, he was suspended for one game without pay for incurring his 16th technical foul of the season. On March 17, Brooks was fined $35,000 by the NBA after he shoved a cameraman to the floor during a game two days earlier against the
Miami Heat. On March 21, he was suspended for one game without pay for receiving two more technical fouls, pushing his total to 18 for the season. At the end of the season, Brooks was named for the first time to the
NBA All-Defensive Second team. During Memphis'
2023 NBA playoffs series against the
Los Angeles Lakers, Brooks openly criticized his opponent
LeBron James for being "old", drawing scrutiny. Brooks was ejected after committing a
flagrant 2 foul just 17 seconds into the second half of the Grizzlies–Lakers Game 3 matchup because of hitting James with a hit
below the belt. Memphis would go on to lose the series in six games.
Houston Rockets (2023–2025) On July 8, 2023, Brooks was acquired by the
Houston Rockets as part of a sign-and-trade agreement, signing a four-year, $86 million contract. On October 26, he made his Rockets debut, scoring 14 points along with four rebounds and two assists in a 116–86 loss to the
Orlando Magic. On February 14, 2024, Brooks recorded a 19-point, 10 rebound
double-double during a 121–113 loss to the
Memphis Grizzlies. On January 27, 2025, Brooks put up a career-high and Rockets franchise-record ten three-pointers en route to 36 points in a 114–112 win over the
Boston Celtics.
Phoenix Suns (2025–present) On July 6, 2025, Brooks, alongside
Jalen Green, was traded to the
Phoenix Suns via a seven-team trade that sent
Kevin Durant to the Rockets. On November 17, Brooks was fined $25,000 for making a lewd gesture on the court during a game against the
Indiana Pacers. Brooks scored 18 points on six-of-nine field goals in a 116–114 loss against the
Los Angeles Lakers on December 14. The game was noted for several tense incidents between him and
LeBron James, most notably after Brooks had made a clutch three pointer over James to give the Suns a one-point lead with 12.2 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Brooks, believing that James had committed an uncalled foul against him, bumped the latter's shoulder in frustration, resulting in his second technical foul and ejection from the game. On January 29, 2026, Brooks scored a career-high 40 points in a 114–96 win over the
Detroit Pistons. On February 14, Brooks was suspended for one game without pay for receiving his 16th
technical foul of the 2025–2026 season. On February 23, Brooks was ruled out for 4-to-6 weeks after suffering a broken left hand two days prior in a game against the
Orlando Magic. On April 6, 2026, Brooks avoided a suspension after receiving his 18th
technical foul in the game against the
Chicago Bulls. During the season, Brooks averaged a career-high 20.2 points per game and helped the Suns finish with a 45–37 record, exceeding expectations after a disappointing 2024–25 season. Going into the playoffs, the eighth-seeded Suns faced the reigning champion and top seed
Oklahoma City Thunder during their first-round series. Brooks made his playoff debut for the Suns on April 19, recording 18 points, seven rebounds, and two assists in a 119–84 Game 1 loss. On April 22, he put up 30 points and six rebounds in a 120–107 Game 2 loss. On April 25, Brooks scored a playoff career-high 33 points, alongside seven rebounds, in a 121–109 Game 3 loss. The Suns wound up being swept by the Thunder, with Brooks averaging 26.0 points per game as their leading scorer in the playoffs. ==National team career==