Southwest Notes: Howard, Motiejunas, Joseph

Rockets center Dwight Howard offered little explanation about his motive for firing agent Dan Fegan in comments to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Howard, who seems virtually certain to opt out of the final year of his contract this summer, announced Friday that he was severing ties with Fegan and Relativity Sports. “It was nothing against my agent,” Howard said. “It wasn’t anything bad that he did to me. Sometimes, change is good. I just made a decision based on what I feel I needed to change. I always respect him and love him. We still talk now. But as far as him being my representation, I decided to go other ways.” Howard said he hasn’t thought about choosing a new agent or his possible free agency, but said he has been considering how to improve his “situation” since the All-Star break.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

• The Rockets‘ Donatas Motiejunas, whose trade to the Pistons was voided Monday due to health reasons, has received medical clearance to start playing again, Feigen writes in a separate story. The Lithuanian big man was able to participate in the Rockets’ shootaround this morning. Back troubles have limited Motiejunas to 14 games this season, and he hasn’t played for Houston since December. “All the doctors that I consult are one of the best in the United States for back injuries and none of them saw any change or anything,” he said. “I’m ready to go. I played four games in the D-League. I practiced already with the team. I practiced by myself. I feel great lately.”
• Cory Joseph, who signed with the Raptors in free agency last summer, credits the four years he spent with the Spurs with making his a better player, according to Chris O’Leary of The Toronto Star. “I went to two finals, I went to the Western Conference finals, and was knocked out in the first round of the playoffs last year,” Joseph said. “You play a lot of big games and you get the full experience.” Joseph, who received about $30MM over four years, is averaging 9.1 points per game as a reserve in his first season in Toronto.
• The loss of Bryce Dejean-Jones less than a week after signing a three-year contract continues a three-year string of injuries for the Pelicans, writes Justin Verrier of ESPN.com. Dejean-Jones is expected to miss six to eight weeks after breaking his right wrist.