The Rockets haven’t cut ties completely with Donatas Motiejunas even though they pulled their latest contract offer today, relays Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston. Speaking to reporters before tonight’s game, coach Mike D’Antoni said he understands the business aspects of Motiejunas’ situation. He added that the Rockets are moving on without the 26-year-old power forward, but will adjust if necessary. “You always move on; we’re not waiting for him,” D’Antoni said. “You try to develop guys and develop roles, and we are doing that. At the same time, he’s that good that if things change we’ll welcome him in.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Injuries are testing the Grizzlies‘ depth at small forward, writes Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Chandler Parsons, who joined the team on a max contract this summer, has a bone bruise on his left knee, and backup James Ennis is suffering from a strained right calf. Both are expected to be out of action for about two weeks. Troy Daniels started tonight for Memphis, but veteran Vince Carter, undrafted free agent Troy Williams and second-year forward Jarell Martin may all see increased playing time.
- Mavericks guard J.J. Barea is optimistic about his timetable after a severe calf strain, posts Tim MacMahon on ESPN Now. Barea was originally projected to be sidelined for two months, but he believes the recovery time will be closer to six weeks.
- Spurs veteran guard Manu Ginobili said a less intense attitude played into his decision to return to the NBA for another season. The 39-year-old, who pondered retirement this summer before accepting San Antonio’s offer, said winning and losing used to bother him so much that he couldn’t even enjoy being in the NBA Finals. “I decided the last few years not to let a win or a loss affect my everyday life, my family’s life, and all that,” Ginobili said. “So I’m way more relaxed. I decided to come back because I feel I still enjoy it. I can still help the team. That’s it.”