Just when the Rockets thought the long-running soap opera had ended when they matched Brooklyn’s offer sheet, restricted free agent Donatas Motiejunas did not report for a physical Tuesday and now everything is back up in the air.
When the 7-footer signed a $37-million, four-year offer sheet on Friday, he said he’d be happy to play for either the Nets or the Rockets.
“We know our rights,” Motiejunas’ agent B.J. Armstrong told ESPN.com. “We don’t have a problem with the Rockets at all. We understand the rules fully.”
The Rockets can simply wait Motiejunas out and see if he’ll eventually report to the team or they can cancel the offer sheet and return him to the ranks of a restricted free agent. According to NBA rules, he cannot play for the Nets for one year.
According to league sources, Motiejunas is fighting for his right to remain a free agent and to hopefully sign a larger dealt with another team if the Rockets pull back their offer sheet.
In light of Motiejunas’ recurring back problems and two surgeries over the past two years, the offer sheet from the Nets that was matched by Houston was only partly-guaranteed.
