When I saw the Detroit Pistons making moves to get Donatas Motiejunas, I was clapping Stan Van Gundy. This guy is making moves that’ll set up the Pistons so well for the future. He’s doing what Boston and Danny Ainge has done but in quicker time.
But then the trade took a turn, Motiejunas had to go back to the Rockets because he apparently failed a physical. Now Motiejunas has constantly said that he’s healthy but no matter what he said, the trade would not go through. Stan Van Gundy, who was engineering the trade, now feels bad about it.
“Standard with all trades, medical clearance on all players involved is required for completion,” Pistons general manager Jeff Bower said in a statement at the time. “Medical clearance was not given on all players and the trade is being rescinded.”
Motiejunas’ back was deemed too much of a risk by the Pistons – a decision Motiejunas would later call a “joke,” according to an interview with Lithuanian media, translated by Reddit. He was “screwed” by the Pistons, and he said they decreased his value.
“Look, I feel bad for him, because I understand his points, in terms of his value and everything else,” Van Gundy said, according to the Detroit Free Press. “(But) we felt we had to make the decision we made.”
This is funny to me because Stan Van Gundy and the Pistons are basically washing their hands of it all going “Hey, we’re sorry, we really really wanted you we swear”. Meanwhile Motiejunas is raging in Houston basically throwing expletives at Detroit.
