With the Phoenix Suns set to take on the Dallas Mavericks tonight on TNT, Aaron Brooks' experience in China will be a feature story during TNT's NBA broadcast.
Brooks signed with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the China Basketball Association during the NBA lockout and his Tigers are now just a win away from the CBA Finals. Once the Tigers' season is complete, because Brooks' rights still belong to the Suns, there are options as to what can be done with the guard the Suns traded Goran Dragic and a first-round draft pick for last season.
According to AZCentral.com, if Brooks were to re-sign with the Suns for the remainder of this season, it'd likely only be for the final month. With the Suns currently three games out of the playoff picture and potentially sellers at the NBA trade deadline next week, bringing Brooks back for the proverbial stretch run might turn out to be a worthless move, and then they'd risk losing him outright when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in July.
If the Suns opt to not re-sign him after the Tigers' season, Brooks would not be able to return to the NBA this season and he would be a restricted free agent in July, allowing the Suns to match any offer sheet he receives. They would, however, lose out on sign-and-trade rights because he didn't finish the season on the team's roster.
Finally, the Suns could always offer him a multiple year deal if they believe Brooks factors into their long-term plans. Plus, if the Suns find themselves making a little bit of a playoff push, Brooks could redeem himself and potentially provide the impact he did not bring to the team last year when he was acquired via trade.
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