Motiejunas 'happy to be back' after nixed trade
After failing a physical, Donatas Motiejunas landed back in Houston instead of heading off to Detroit.
The two teams agreed to swap Motiejunas for a protected first-round pick from the Pistons on Thursday as part of a three-team deal also involving the Philadelphia 76ers. However, the trade fell through after the Pistons saw Motiejunas' medicals.
Instead, Motiejunas is back with the Rockets, and doesn't seem particularly upset to return to a franchise that just traded him.
"I'm looking at it as a business," Motiejunas told FOX 26. "I'm happy to be back. They drafted me. I feel like it's home. Who's not happy to be back at home?"
As for his back, which he had surgery on last season, Motiejunas insists he's fine.
"(The Pistons) didn't want to clear me for my back," Motiejunas said. "They knew everything. They have full access to all my medical history. I don't know what went wrong. When I get back to Houston, I will go to check myself one more time, make sure everything is the same as it was. If everything is the same, I'm good to go."
The 25-year-old Motiejunas is averaging 5.6 points per game after a breakout campaign with 12 points and 5.9 rebounds in 2014-15. When healthy, Motiejunas profiles as a highly skilled post option who can also stretch the floor with a reliable 3-point shot.
He will be a restricted free agent this summer, and if his back issues clear up at that point, perhaps the Pistons will revisit acquiring the 7-foot Lithuanian.
- With h/t to Eye on Basketball