Dillon Brooks Makes Wild Claim About Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks

Phoenix Suns wing Dillon Brooks has long been one of the most polarizing players in the NBA. He's backing up his loud talking this year, averaging a career-high 20.9 PPG. He's been in the news for some legal reasons as well, but he's never been shy about his opinions.

Brooks recently appeared on the "Million Dollaz Worth of Game" podcast, where he was asked about his opinions on players around the league, including Dallas Mavericks star rookie Cooper Flagg. When asked if Flagg was having a better year, Brooks quickly denied it.

"No, not a better year than me. Because if I was over there (in Dallas), we would've been in the playoff hunt. That's what I do," Brooks said.

Brooks has the Phoenix Suns surprisingly fighting for a playoff spot after he was included as part of the Kevin Durant trade. As of Tuesday morning, the Suns are 37-27 and the 7th seed in the Western Conference, only 1.5 games back from the Denver Nuggets in 6th. Booker is a big reason for that surge, as is Devin Booker, but they're second in the NBA in total steals. Brooks' mentality is a big reason behind their defensive improvements, and they're one of the better teams in the NBA.

Nov 12, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) attempts to knock the ball away from Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) during the second quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Dillon Brooks Would Not Make the Mavericks a Playoff Team

Let's just explore a world where Dillon Brooks is somehow on the Dallas Mavericks, even if he's in the spot of someone like P.J. Washington or Naji Marshall. Brooks has been playing at a higher level this year, especially with his scoring inside the arc. He's taking twice as many two-point attempts as he has in each of the last two seasons.

The Mavericks were a decent defensive team, but have let that go recently, as they have no desire to be winning games right now. 2026 is the last year they have control over their first-round pick until 2031.

While Brooks has been a good player, he wouldn't help any of the Mavs' biggest issues: three-point shooting and playmaking. His shooting has taken a step back this season, shooting 34.3% from deep on nearly 7 attempts per game. He's still a fine shooter, but the Mavs need a lot more than just fine shooting. He's also just not a playmaker. With Kyrie Irving being out, the Mavs have had to rely on Cooper Flagg and Naji Marshall to be initiators on offense, and Brandon Williams and Ryan Nembhard to take larger roles. Brooks wouldn't help as much with that.

Stick with MavericksGameday for more FREE coverage of the Dallas Mavericks throughout the 2025-26 season

Follow MavericksGameday on Twitter and Austin Veazey on Twitter