NBA star Dillon Brooks has been formally charged with driving under the influence stemming from a run-in with police in Arizona in March, adding a legal distraction to the start of the Phoenix Suns' season.
Scottsdale prosecutors hit the Suns forward with one count of DUI covering liquor, drugs, vapors or a combination, a Class 1 misdemeanor, according to court records. He is due for arraignment on October 28, just one week after the Suns officially open their 2026-27 regular season.
The charge dates to March 6, when Scottsdale police pulled Brooks over for a traffic violation at around 1:33 a.m. Officers said he exhibited signs of impairment during the stop. Bodycam footage from the scene later showed Brooks appearing to blow a 0.0 on a breathalyzer test, though an officer could be heard in the video accusing him of driving a vehicle that smelled like a dispensary, a detail that fueled weeks of debate among fans about the basis for the arrest.
Brooks' attorney, Larry Kazan, said in a statement that Brooks acknowledges he has been charged in connection with the matter, respects the legal process, and intends to let the case proceed through the courts. He added that because the case is pending, neither Brooks nor his counsel would have further comment.
The Suns addressed the matter in a statement to ESPN from senior vice president of communications Stacey Mitch, who said the charge stemmed from the March incident, that the team had addressed the matter with Brooks, and that it had no further comment.
The timing is awkward for both player and team. Brooks signed a three-year, $73 million contract extension with the Suns that runs through the 2029-30 season, making him a significant investment and a central piece of the franchise's plans. He also faces a separate misdemeanor reckless driving and speeding case from January in the Scottsdale court system, meaning the October 28 arraignment will not be his only date before a judge this fall.
Brooks has built a reputation as one of the league's most polarizing players, a tenacious defender whose on-court antics regularly draw fines and headlines. The DUI charge adds an off-court chapter to that reputation, and how the league and the Suns handle it will be watched closely as the season gets underway.
The case also highlights the awkward gap between the March stop and the September charges. Brooks blew an apparent 0.0 on the roadside breathalyzer, yet prosecutors proceeded on a theory covering liquor, drugs, vapors or a combination, a reminder that Arizona DUI law reaches well beyond alcohol. Combined with his separate reckless driving and speeding case from January, Brooks faces a crowded legal calendar in Scottsdale this fall, even as he prepares for a season in which the Suns are counting on him to justify a $73 million commitment.