The Detroit Pistons came out of the trade deadline viewed as winners for a pair of deals they did for some extra firepower. A couple days before the deadline, Detroit traded away Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova and in return they received Tobias Harris to address their need for an athletic wing who can shoot and defend.
Then, on deadline day they traded for Donatas Motiejunas and Marcus Thornton from the Houston Rockets and in return they gave up a protected first round pick and Joel Anthony would be sent to the Philadelphia 76ers in the deal. The Pistons filled more holes voided by getting rid of Ilyasova and Jennings. They got a reserve guard who can handle the ball in Thornton and Motiejunas can stretch the floor, shoot threes and he also can play in the post when Drummond needed a break.
A few days after the deal with the Rockets was agreed upon, the Pistons reported that Moetiejunas failed his physical and the trade would be voided. The Pistons got their pick back and D-Mo went back to Houston.
Interestingly enough, just a few short days after the voided deal, Motiejunas played for the first time in 2016. Donatas played nine minutes as he returned to the Rockets rotation in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs. His last appearance came on New Years eve in a Rockets loss to the Warriors but he went back on the shelf due shortly after due to a reoccurring back injury that saw his 2015 season come to an end and it cut into the start of his 2015-16 campaign.
Now Motiejunas, who will be a free agent this summer, says he is healthy and angry that the Pistons said he wasn’t ready to play.
Motiejunas said the following to a Lithuanian reporter on Basketnews.it, with the help of Google Translate.
– How do you feel being back on court?
– Well, it’s not my first game back, I played in D-League, but it’s really pleasant being back on the Rockets roster and I hope I can help the team more.– What was the situation after the trade with Pistons?
– The medical examination is a funny thing. The team doctor simply says whether you pass or don’t, although they may not even do any checks. Those 48 hours actually just let the team decide whether they want you or not. The Pistons announced I did not pass the medical, although I surely did pass it and played even before it. I just got ‘screwed’. The injury was a pretense to call off the trade. They changed their minds.– Did you want to play in Detroit?
– Whether I wanted or not, the trade happened, so I started concentrating on playing there, but we all saw what happened. I was in Detroit, I stayed with the team for 3-4 days. I saw the practice, I did other stuff.– How serious is your back injury, truth be told?
– Now everything is fine. During the All Star break I worked with a back specialist in Vancouver. When the season ends I will most likely go there again to work some more. As much as I talked to doctors and saw the photos, there is nothing serious, all problems are temporary.– So you are not afraid there is something serious?
– So far I do not feel anything. Everything’s alright. Some things are really tiresome – I have come to the arena to warm up much earlier, but now it has to become part of my life.-The Rockets wanted to trade you, but now you are staying in Houston. It looks like some sort of misunderstanding?
– I wouldn’t call it that. The Rockets were not giving me away for free, they got a high draft pick. A high pick is very useful, so I completely understand them. From my side, I see it as a business. I know they did not want to give me away and offered many other players to the Pistons, but the guys in Detroit wanted only me.
Now I will be talking to my agent and lawyers to clarify what to do next. The Pistons had access to my full medical history, so they shouldn’t have done what they did to me. They decreased my value. The medical examination I ‘failed’ was a joke. The Pistons will have some explaining to do why they did not want the trade anymore. We will see what happens.
