The New Orleans Pelicans are inching closer to a one-year deal with unrestricted free agent Donatas Motiejunas, reportedly worth $1.1 million, expecting the deal to be closed within Monday or Tuesday, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.
The Pelicans have waived forward Reggie Williams to make room for the 7-footer. Williams, a seven-year veteran has averaged five points and 1.2 rebounds in five games with the team this season.
Motiejunas would be a welcome addition to New Orleans, who has been looking for a big man presence to pair with talisman forward Anthony Davis and hopefully add depth to their frontcourt.
A streaky three-point shooter and versatile scorer on the block, Motiejunas' assets could be of great help to a Pelicans team that is 16th in the league in points in the paint, mostly product of Davis' rebounding and low-post scoring prowess.
New Orleans is also 20th in the NBA in three-point shooting, and with yet another big man that can stretch out beyond the arc, it'll create opportunities for a more spread-out offense.
The main question remains his health, as Motiejunas has had a history of back problems ever since a nixed trade early in 2016 due to a failed physical sent him back from the Detroit Pistons back to the Houston Rockets.
The Lithuanian international has since struggled with restricted free agency to attract much outside interest until after the Rockets pulled their two-year offer starting in the $7 million to $8 million range on Nov. 22.
While this deal with the Pelicans is nothing like the guaranteed money he had in his previous offer with the Rockets, it's likely better than sitting out a season and having his value drop even more as time passes.
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