The Houston Rockets’ hand has been forced.
They had reportedly offered Donatas Motiejunas $7 million a year in a short-term deal, but pulled the offer after he didn’t sign before the date that would make him eligible to be traded this season. Since then, the Nets — a team trying to rebuild but stripped of picks and assets — considered making a gamble on him.
Friday they did.
Nets have signed restricted free agent forward Donatas Motiejunas to an offer sheet paying $37 million over four years, sources told ESPN.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) December 3, 2016
Donatas Motiejunas' four-year, $37M offer sheet with Nets includes two non-guaranteed years on back end, league sources tell @TheVertical
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 3, 2016
On paper, Motiejunas is a good fit with the Mike D’Antoni Rockets. Two seasons ago he shot 36.8 percent from three, and it is easy to see where in the transition scrambles that the Rockets’ offense creates he could run to the arc or post up smaller defenders inside early in the clock. He could be a nice reserve big in Houston.
Which is why they likely match. But now the clock is ticking.