Rockets Match Nets' Offer For Donatas Motiejunas
The Brooklyn Nets signed Houston Rockets big man Donatas Motiejunas to a four-year, $37 million offer sheet on Friday. Houston matched Brooklyn’s offer Monday afternoon.
Per Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Houston Rockets have retained Donatas Motiejunas by matching the Brooklyn Nets’ offer. The Nets first expressed interest in Motiejunas after bringing him in for a physical on Thursday.
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From the get-go, it appeared likely that the Rockets would match the Nets’ offer for D-Mo. Though the contract is hefty, the last two years of the deal are non-guaranteed, which was smart on Sean Marks‘ part. However, this would have appealed to Houston as well, and the Rockets had the money necessary to match the deal.
The non-guaranteed factor heavily whiffs of concerns over Motiejunas’ health. Motiejunas has had recurring issues with his back, which is the major reason for lack of interest from NBA teams during the summer. Houston not signing the 7-footer to a long-term deal can also be attributed to this.
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In February, Motiejunas and Rockets teammate Marcus Thornton were traded to the Detroit Pistons as part of a three-team trade involving the Philadelphia 76ers. The deal did not go through because of a failed physical by Motiejunas. He has not played since round one of the 2016 NBA Playoffs.
However, the fact that Brooklyn brought in the 26-year-old for a physical and immediately signed him to a deal shows some positivity about his health. According to Wojnarowski, the Nets were expected to use Motiejunas as a power forward beside Brook Lopez.
The Lithuanian is in his fifth season in the NBA. In four years with the Rockets, he averaged 7.8 points and four rebounds per game. Last season, he only played 37 games due to recurring back pain, which originated from the prior year.
The Rockets’ move to retain Motiejunas makes the Nets 0-3 with restricted free agents this year. In the summer, Brooklyn attempted to acquire Tyler Johnson and Allen Crabbe, and both deals were matched by each player’s respective team.
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