Suns Tell Lakers Dillon Brooks Not For Sale

Merlin sees Mat Ishbia quietly closing the door on trade chatter as the Suns surge, saying on X the Suns "aren't interested" after DeMarcus Cousins suggested Dillon Brooks to the Lakers. Phoenix has won six of seven to climb near the playoff picture, and Brooks is a key two-way piece averaging a career-high 21.4 points. The Suns point to roster fit problems, noting Austin Reaves would overlap with Devin Booker while Collin Gillespie has emerged as a reliable starter. Merlin notes the magic in continuity. Under Jordan Ott the Suns sit 21-14 with a top-10 defense and are chasing a better seed, so sacrificing Brooks for positional redundancy makes little sense. The story could flip only if injuries or a blockbuster offer appears.