Donatas Motiejunas Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Afflalo, Nets, Celtics

December 5th, 2016 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

DeMar DeRozan didn’t take meetings with any teams besides the Raptors in free agency this summer, and has spoken since then about wanting to spend his entire career in Toronto. As Masai Ujiri tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, that sort of commitment from an All-Star like DeRozan is a big step for a franchise that historically hasn’t been a go-to destination for top free agents.

“It means a lot coming from a player like him,” the Raptors president said. “When DeMar came here, he dedicated himself to Toronto. He’s giving it his all. Everyone was saying, ‘Oh, when DeMar makes all that money,’ and blah, blah, blah. It’s not like it’s going to change that guy. All that guy knows is basketball. DeMar got his contract in the summer and he is performing and playing even better than before. But that is who DeMar is. We all know he is a phenomenal person and basketball player.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic division:

Kings guard Arron Afflalo played his old team in New York on Sunday, and said that even though his brief stint with the Knicks didn’t result in much success, he still valued the experience, per Newsday’s Barbara Barker. “Playing for the Knicks is one of those things that whether it was good, bad or indifferent, it’s something to be proud of. It’s really a historic franchise,” Afflalo said. “Had some good times, had some bad times. Quick one-year run, but it’s something I’ll always remember.”
Brian Lewis of The New York Post spoke to NBA scouts about the Nets‘ offer sheet for Donatas Motiejunas, and the general consensus was that it makes sense for Brooklyn to try to land a player like Motiejunas. “What’s to lose? It’s a good move. I don’t see a negative,” said veteran scout Scott McGuire. “They have to shake the bushes.”
While Caris LeVert has been cleared to make his debut for the Nets, it’s not clear how much playing time the 2016 first-rounder will actually receive right away, Lewis writes in a separate piece for The Post.
With their schedule “about to crank into overdrive,” the Celtics continue to be a bit of a mystery, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com.

Poll: Should Rockets Match Nets’ Motiejunas Offer?

December 5th, 2016 at 9:51am CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets have until the end of the day to decide whether or not they will match the Nets’ four-year, $35MM+ offer sheet for Donatas Motiejunas. And while there have been reports suggesting that Houston would like to keep Motiejunas in the fold, there has been no definitive word yet on whether or not the Rockets will match Brooklyn’s offer and bring back their restricted free agent.

The Nets’ offer reportedly only includes $5MM in guaranteed money, but that figure will increase to $8.5MM in January, and then his 2017/18 salary of $9MM will become guaranteed on March 1. So within three months, about half of Motiejunas’ four-year contract would be fully guaranteed, leaving just the final two seasons non-guaranteed.

Although Motiejunas struggled to stay healthy last season and his production took a significant hit, he looked like a player on the rise in 2014/15, when he averaged 12.0 PPG and 5.9 RPG to go along with a .504 FG% and a .368 3PT%. He has been plagued by back troubles in recent years, creating some long-term uncertainty about his health and limiting his market.

In their negotiations with Motiejunas, the Rockets had reportedly only been willing to offer one guaranteed year, worth about $7-8MM. Team officials reportedly have concerns about how the forward’s back will hold up over multiple years, which could make the Rockets wary about matching an offer sheet that essentially forces them to guarantee him nearly $9MM annually for two years.

The Rockets also would have liked to lock up Motiejunas by November 23, since that would have given the team the option to move him by this year’s February 23 trade deadline. Free agents can’t be dealt for three months after signing their contracts, so Motiejunas will be ineligible to be traded until after the 2016/17 season.

Houston is only barely over the salary cap at the moment, so adding Motiejunas’ contracts to the books wouldn’t put the team in danger of approaching tax territory. And the Rockets could use Motiejunas to provide depth behind frontcourt starters Ryan Anderson and Clint Capela, even if Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell have looked good in part-time roles so far.

What do you think? Will the Rockets match the Nets’ Motiejunas offer sheet? Should they match it? Weigh in on both of those questions in our poll and in the comments section below!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Southwest Notes: Motiejunas, Douglas, Harrison

December 4th, 2016 at 12:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets aren’t facing an easy decision about matching the Nets’ offer sheet for Donatas Motiejunas, writes James Herbert of CBS Sports. The four-year, $37MM deal only has $5MM in guaranteed money. Motiejunas would get another $3.5MM this season if he is still on the roster January 10th, and his salary for next season would be guaranteed if he is not waived before March 1st. There is a July 7th trigger date for each of the final two non-guaranteed seasons.

While the financial risk is small, there are other factors that may make the Rockets hesitate. Motiejunas was limited by back trouble last season, and a trade to Detroit in February was rescinded because he couldn’t pass a physical. Houston officials are worried about how much Motiejunas’ condition may deteriorate in two seasons, tweets Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com. Also, because the offer sheet came after November 23rd, which is three months before the trade deadline, Motiejuans can’t be dealt for the rest of the season. He can’t be traded without his consent for a full year. In addition, there are also concerns about whether his post-up style would fit in with coach Mike D’Antoni’s philosophy. The Rockets must make a decision on whether to match by Monday.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

The Grizzlies are now in position to be granted an injury exception, which they are expected to use to sign veteran guard Toney Douglas, according to Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. League rules say the exception can be granted once a team has at least four players miss three consecutive games and several will be out for an extended time. The Grizzlies reached that threshold after Saturday’s game, when they were missing six players. Douglas is in Memphis now waiting for the paperwork to be finalized, tweets Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com.
The Grizzlies are impressed by the performance of rookie guard Andrew Harrison, who moved into the starting lineup after an injury to Mike Conley, writes Mike Bohn of USA Today. “I know we short handed, but got a bunch of tough guys on this team that believe we [can] win,” Harrison said. “Losing Mike was big, he’s an MVP candidate in my eyes, but we know what we got to do: We got to bring it every night.”
The job of carrying on the Spurs‘ tradition has fallen to Tony Parker now that Tim Duncan has retired, according to The Vertical’s Michael Lee. Parker is in his 16th season in San Antonio, making him the longest-tenured Spur. “I just want to make sure we keep winning and keep the tradition going,” he said. “Obviously, we’re always going to miss Timmy and you can’t replace Timmy. We just have to do it a different way.”

And-Ones: Motiejunas, Deng, Jokic

December 3rd, 2016 at 10:32pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Nets signed Donatas Motiejunas to an offer sheet on Friday and the timing of it was no accident, Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes. Brooklyn hopes that by waiting until after November 23 to sign Motiejunas, the Rockets will further consider not matching, as that was the last day they could have signed him and still been allowed to trade him this season. If Houston matches now, the big man can’t be traded for a full year without his consent.

Stein also notes that Brooklyn hired former longtime Rockets executive Gianluca Pascucci as its director of international scouting during the offseason and there’s likely a correlation between the hiring of Pascucci and the Nets offer to Motiejunas.

Here’s more from around the league:

Luol Deng is struggling in his first season with the Lakers and the chatter about whether he fits in on Los Angeles’ young, promising team is expected to continue, Stein adds in the same piece. Deng signed a four-year, $72MM deal with the team in the offseason.
Nikola Jokic will miss at least a week as he recovers from a sprained wrist, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post relays. “Talking to Nikola, he wants to play right when he can catch the ball,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “I think we’ll probably be a little more cautious than that on this road trip, maybe get it looked at again just to kind of see where it’s at once the swelling goes down.”
Jake Rauchbach of Basketball Insiders examines how Russell Westbrook and James Harden are producing eye-popping numbers on the Thunder and Rockets, respectively. Both players signed extensions with their respective teams this offseason.

Nets Sign Donatas Motiejunas To Offer Sheet

December 2nd, 2016 at 6:52pm CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 2nd, 6:52pm: Brooklyn has signed Motiejunas to a four-year, $37MM offer sheet, international journalist David Pick reports (via Twitter). The arrangement includes non-guaranteed seasons in years three and four, Wojnarowski tweets. Houston will have until Monday to match the offer.

DECEMBER 1st, 11:16am: Motiejunas could sign an offer sheet from the Nets as soon as Friday, league sources tell Wojnarowski. The Rockets, who would have 72 hours to match, have “held a strong interest” in matching any offer and retaining Motiejunas, though the money and guaranteed years included in the Nets’ offer will obviously be crucial, says Wojnarowski.

10:52am: Five months after the top free agents of 2016 began meeting with teams, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (via Twitter) that the Nets hosted restricted free agent Donatas Motiejunas for a visit and a physical. According to Wojnarowski, Brooklyn is weighing the possibility of signing Motiejunas to an offer sheet.

ESPN’s Marc Stein, who has been on top of the Motiejunas situation throughout the fall, adds (via Twitter) that nothing will be finalized before Friday, but a deal with the Nets seems likely. Per Stein (via Twitter), the Nets are “comfortable” with Motiejunas’ medical situation and are currently planning an offer sheet for the veteran forward.

Motiejunas, the NBA’s last unsigned RFA of 2016, received a qualifying offer worth about $4.4MM from the Rockets back in June. However, the 26-year-old didn’t reach an agreement with Houston or sign an offer sheet with a rival suitor during the offseason, and that qualifying offer expired in October. Motiejunas can no longer sign his one-year QO, but remains a restricted free agent, meaning Houston still has the right of first refusal should he strike a deal with another team, such as the Nets.

The Rockets reportedly put a two-year offer on the table for Motiejunas, worth about $7MM guaranteed in year one. However, as of November 23, the team was no longer able to re-sign Motiejunas and trade him prior to this season’s February 23 trade deadline, since players signing new contracts can’t be traded for three months. When that date passed, Houston reportedly pulled its offer, leaving Motiejunas’ reps to engaged other potential suitors about a deal.

Since Motiejunas appears to be seeking more than $7MM annually on a multiyear contract, only teams with cap room have the flexibility to make him a competitive offer, assuming he stays in the NBA. A club like Brooklyn, which is still well below the salary floor for 2016/17 and doesn’t have a long-term answer at the four, is a logical fit for the veteran power forward.

Of course, the Nets ventured into the restricted free agent market earlier this year, signing Tyler Johnson and Allen Crabbe to lucrative four-year offer sheets. Those offer sheets were matched by the Heat and Trail Blazers, respectively, leaving Brooklyn somewhat empty-handed in free agency. However, the club is in a good position to put pressure on the over-the-cap Rockets. As our salary cap snapshot shows, the Nets currently have more than $18MM in cap room. They also don’t have a ton of money committed in future seasons, with about $58MM in guaranteed salary on their books for 2017/18, and just $5.5MM for 2018/19.

Although Motiejunas struggled to stay healthy last season and his production took a significant hit, he looked like a player on the rise in 2014/15, when he averaged 12.0 PPG and 5.9 RPG to go along with a .504 FG% and a .368 3PT%. He has been plagued by back troubles in recent years, creating some long-term uncertainty about his health and limiting his market.

If Brooklyn signs Motiejunas to an offer sheet that Houston is unwilling to match, the Nets need to create an opening on their 15-man roster in order to officially add the RFA forward.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Southwest Notes: Conley, Parsons, Evans, Motiejunas

December 2nd, 2016 at 1:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies never gave any thought to tanking, even as Mike Conley was added to their long injury list, according to Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Conley will miss at least six weeks after fractures were discovered in his lower back. He joins injured teammates Vince Carter, Chandler Parsons, James Ennis and Brandan Wright, while Zach Randolph is on the bereavement list. “It’s obvious that we have done everything to stay competitive,” said GM Chris Wallace. “Ownership has given us the financial commitment for our intent to be competitive at a high level over the past several years. That just doesn’t stop with the injury to Mike Conley.”

There’s more news from the Southwest Division:

Parsons admits coming to Memphis was a “culture shock,” but he liked the talent the Grizzlies had in place and wanted to be part of the organization, relays Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Injuries have limited Parsons to six games so far after signing a four-year max contract over the summer. “The real reason why I went there was the current players that they have on their team,” Parsons said, “guys like Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, Z-Bo [Randolph], Tony Allen. See, they’re all guys that have had so much success, and I felt like plugging me into that lineup, being able to play with those guys as kind of the piece they’ve been missing [would be great]. And with the new coaching staff with [David] Fizdale and J.B. Bickerstaff, those are two guys I’ve had previous relationships with and I just hit it off with them. Those are guys that I’ve trusted, and I think we’re going to have special seasons as soon as we get fully healthy. We’ve got a lot of guys banged up right now, but I think we’re going to be a tough team to beat come playoff time.”
The Pelicans will have to wait longer for Tyreke Evans‘ season debut, tweets Justin Verrier of ESPN.com. Evans, who is recovering from two surgeries on his right knee last season, reported tightness in his calf. New Orleans was hoping to have him back by Thanksgiving, but GM Dell Demps said Evans will not take the court until he is fully healthy. Once he returns, coach Alvin Gentry envisions Evans taking on a role similar to what Lance Stephenson did before he was injured and waived (Twitter link).
The Rockets are very interested in keeping Donatas Motiejunas, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The Lithuanian power forward has been meeting with the Nets and is expected to receive an offer sheet, possibly by today. Even though Houston pulled its latest offer to Motiejunas last month, the organization will strongly consider matching whatever offer Brooklyn presents. “We’re big fans of Donatas,” said GM Daryl Morey. “We hope to have him at some point this year.”

And-Ones: D-League Salaries, Motiejunas, Wayns

November 25th, 2016 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

In a recent report, ESPN’s Marc Stein indicated that D-League salaries were expected to rise to the $50-75K range when the NBA and NBPA finalized its new Collective Bargaining Agreement. However, in a column today, Stein clarifies that the $50-75K salary will likely only apply to two-way contracts, which are expected to be incorporated into the new CBA.

NBA rosters are expected to be expanded from 15 players to 17 or 18, with those two or three extra slots accommodating players on two-way contracts. Those deals would allow teams to carry multiple players that they shuttle back and forth between the NBA and the D-League, with those players earning money at different rates depending on which league they’re in. According to Stein, most other D-League players will still earn lower salaries — currently, D-League salaries range from $19-26K, and while that rate may increase going forward, the bump likely won’t be as substantial as initially believed.

It’s a disheartening development, according to Chris Reichert of The Step Back, who tweets that he had hoped two-way contracts would be worth in the neighborhood of $200-250K, with other D-League players earning $50-75K. The NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement still hasn’t been finalized and announced, so we’ll have to wait to see exactly what changes it entails, but for now it doesn’t seem as if the D-League salary system will be overhauled significantly.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:

Within the aforementioned piece, Stein discusses the Donatas Motiejunas situation again, citing one source close to the talks who believe the RFA forward isn’t far away from landing a contract. It’s not clear if that contract would be a new deal with the Rockets, an offer sheet from another NBA team, or an agreement with a team overseas.
Prior to Stein’s clarification on D-League salaries, former Vanderbilt standout Derrick Byars, who is currently playing in France, wrote in a guest post for Ridiculous Upside that increasing the league’s salaries to $50-75K would have been a “game-changer.” Meanwhile, Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders suggested that increased salaries could make the D-League a viable alternative to the NCAA for many prospects. While those pieces are still worth reading, it appears both of those points are now moot.
Former Sixers and Clippers guard Maalik Wayns is leaving Russian team Enisey and has agreed to terms with Israeli team Maccabi Rishon, reports international basketball journalist David Pick (via Twitter). Wayns, 25, last played in an NBA game in 2014.

Donatas Motiejunas Still Seeking Offers

November 24th, 2016 at 6:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

Representatives for Donatas Motiejunas have been contacting teams with cap space in an effort to get an offer for their client, report Marc Stein and Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com.

Because Motiejunas remains a restricted free agent, the Rockets would have the option to match any offer sheet he receives. Motiejunas’ camp believes Houston’s offers haven’t been sufficient based on his performance. If the 26-year-old Lithuanian native decides to play overseas, the Rockets would still retain his NBA rights and could match any deal.

Motiejunas is “surprised and upset” that he is still without a contract nearly five months after free agency began. He could have accepted the Rockets’ $4.4MM qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next summer, but he let it expire October 1st in anticipation of reaching a long-term deal.

Houston pulled its latest contract offer on Tuesday and will reportedly drop the monetary amount of any future offer. A source told ESPN that if talks resume, the next offer would be at least $1MM smaller for the first season. The Rockets’ last offer reportedly included roughly $7MM in guaranteed first-year salary with team options beyond that. Houston officials considered November 23rd to be an unofficial deadline to reach an agreement because it was the last day Motiejunas could have signed and still been eligible for a trade at the February 23rd deadline.

The Rockets are reluctant to make a long-term commitment to Motiejunas because of his history of back problems. He played just 37 games last season, and a trade to Detroit in February was rescinded after he failed a physical. Second-year forwards Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell have filled in for Motiejunas during Houston’s 9-6 start.

Southwest Notes: Motiejunas, Grizzlies, Barea

November 23rd, 2016 at 6:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

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.”

Rockets Pull Most Recent Offer To Donatas Motiejunas

November 23rd, 2016 at 1:39pm CST by Luke Adams

1:39pm: According to Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Rockets gave Motiejunas a November 22 deadline to sign their offer. When that date came and went without any action from Motiejunas, the club told him his value has further decreased.

1:21pm: The Rockets have pulled their most recent offer to Motiejunas off the table, league sources tell Stein (Twitter links). According to Stein, the team’s hopes of getting a deal done with the restricted free agent by the end of the day appear to be fading.

10:08am: Nearly a month into the NBA season, restricted free agent Donatas Motiejunas remains unsigned, but there’s a reason to believe progress could be made today. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter), the Rockets view Wednesday as an unofficial deadline for their negotiations with Motiejunas, since it’s the last day a player can sign a contract and still be trade-eligible later this season. Houston will try to get a deal done today with the free agent forward, says Stein.

NBA rules dictate that when a free agent signs a contract, he can’t be traded until December 15 or three months after the date of his signing, whichever comes later. So any player that signed a new contract after September 15 has a unique date when he becomes eligible to be dealt. Because there are exactly three months until this season’s February 23 trade deadline, any player who signs as a free agent after today can’t be traded until after the season.

The Rockets tendered Motiejunas a qualifying offer worth about $4.4MM back in June. However, the 26-year-old didn’t reach an agreement with Houston or sign an offer sheet with a rival suitor during the offseason, and that qualifying offer expired last month. Motiejunas can no longer sign his one-year QO, but remains a restricted free agent, meaning Houston still has the right of first refusal should he strike a deal with another team.

The most recent report on Motiejunas suggested the Rockets had put a multiyear offer on the table that featured about $7MM in guaranteed first-year salary. The proposal sounded similar to deals signed by RFAs like Tyler Zeller and Festus Ezeli earlier this year — two-year pacts in the $15MM range, with only the first year guaranteed.

Although Motiejunas struggled to stay healthy in 2015/16 and his production took a significant hit, he looked like a player on the rise in 2014/15, when he averaged 12.0 PPG and 5.9 RPG to go along with a .504 FG% and a .368 3PT%. He has been plagued by back troubles in recent years, creating some long-term uncertainty about his health and limiting his market.

If the Rockets and Motiejunas don’t reach an agreement today, the team could still sign him at any time, but there would be no clear timeline for a deal to get done.