Dillon Brooks needed less than five minutes to remind everyone what comes with the package.
The Phoenix Suns forward found himself in the middle of a heated altercation with Detroit Pistons newcomer John Collins early in Sunday’s preseason opener at Little Caesars Arena, an exchange that ended with Collins putting his hand on Brooks’ neck.
After a lengthy review, officials assessed Collins a flagrant-1 foul and Brooks a technical foul.
It was an eventful start to Brooks’ first game since Phoenix made a significant long-term investment in the veteran forward — and another example of the edge that has defined his career.
The sequence began with Brooks bumping Collins as they battled around the basket. Collins secured an offensive rebound with 7:25 remaining in the first quarter, and Brooks swiped at him before being whistled for a personal foul.
Collins immediately took exception.
The Pistons forward confronted Brooks and put his hand around the neck area of the Suns veteran as players and officials converged.
Brooks was assessed the technical for his role in the confrontation, while Collins received the more severe penalty.
Dillon Brooks’ Edge Quickly Resurfaces
For anyone who watched Brooks last season, the scene wasn’t particularly surprising.
Brooks has built his NBA identity around physical defense, relentless trash talk and a willingness to irritate opponents. Sometimes that edge has spilled over.
He led the NBA with 17 technical fouls last season, with his accumulation resulting in suspensions. Brooks has also been suspended six times over his NBA career.
Phoenix knew exactly what it was investing in.
The Suns acquired Brooks from Houston in the Kevin Durant trade and watched him become one of the faces of their cultural reset. He averaged a career-high 20.2 points in 56 games last season and helped Phoenix return to the playoffs.
In August, the Suns rewarded him with a three-year, $73 million extension through the 2029-30 season.
General manager Brian Gregory said at the time that Brooks’ “toughness, competitiveness and work ethic” embodied the Suns’ identity.
Less than five minutes into the preseason, all three were back on display — along with the volatility Phoenix must continue managing.
Suns Star Enters Season With Off-Court Issue Looming
The confrontation also came days after Brooks’ offseason legal situation returned to the headlines.
Brooks was arrested following a March 6 traffic stop in Scottsdale while sidelined with a fractured left hand. Prosecutors filed a misdemeanor DUI charge in late September stemming from that arrest, and Brooks has an Oct. 28 court date.
He also faces separate misdemeanor reckless driving and speeding charges stemming from a January arrest, with a November court date scheduled.
The Suns said last week they had addressed the March matter with Brooks and declined further comment.
Those pending cases add a more serious backdrop to a season in which Phoenix has made clear Brooks is part of its future.
The Suns didn’t hand him $73 million because they wanted him to stop being Dillon Brooks. His physicality and confrontational edge are part of what made him valuable to a franchise searching for a new identity.
But there is always a line.
On Sunday, Brooks’ hard swipe helped ignite the first confrontation of Phoenix’s preseason. Collins ultimately crossed the bigger one, earning the flagrant after putting his hand on Brooks’ neck.
For Brooks and the Suns, it was a familiar balancing act.
Phoenix wants the edge.
It just needs Brooks to keep it under control.
Suns’ Dillon Brooks at Center of Heated Altercation Minutes Into Preseason