The Houston Rockets have reportedly pulled their offer to restricted free agent Donatas Motiejunas, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.
The team had been hoping to get a deal done with the Lithuanian international before Wednesday's deadline, which would allow a player to be signed and still be trade-eligible on NBA trade deadline-day on Feb. 23.
Motiejunas will remain a Rockets restricted free agent if he signs with a team overseas, and NBA teams with cap space can still extend him an offer sheet, according to Stein.
Houston has its number set at around $7 million for the 7-footer, and no other team in the league is offering anything remotely close for him after the failed physical debacle that forced a “refund policy,” sending back Donatas Motiejunas and Marcus Thornton from Detroit.
Motiejunas and his agent insist he deserves more, but the Rockets have given up after extensive talks that have gone as long as five months.
Philadelphia, Denver, Brooklyn, Utah, Phoenix and Minnesota are all teams that have the cap available to sign him to a contract worth that amount per year or more — but the problem is that no one wants to.
The Nuggets, Timberwolves and 76ers boast plenty of depth at the center position and the other teams just wouldn't be interested as he doesn't fit into their system.
If it is about the money as it seems to be, Donates Motiejunas won't get it overseas. The closer it gets to the deadline, the more grim things seem to get for young ‘donuts'.
Follow Us
Subscribe