National Basketball Association

Pistons missing Motiejunas and Thornton due to trade

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:59 p.m. ET

foxsports

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) Donatas Motiejunas and Marcus Thornton will not play for the Detroit Pistons on Sunday against the New Orleans Pelicans because the trade that brought them from Houston has not been finalized.

The duo was acquired at the trading deadline, but Motiejunas still had to pass a physical. He had season-ending back surgery last April, didn't play again until early December and has been sidelined again since Jan. 1 with recurring pain.

Motiejunas was undergoing extensive tests in New York, supervised by a team doctor, and they weren't finished in time for Sunday's game.

''It's not frustrating, because this is part of the trade process,'' Pistons coach/president Stan Van Gundy said. ''We want to get everything taken of correctly, not just rush through things.''