NBA Rumors: Houston Rockets Expected To Sign Restricted Free Agent Donantas Motiejunas

The Houston Rockets opened training camp at the Toyota Center on September 24 with a very different roster than they ended with last year.

Houston currently has 18 players currently in camp with just eight of those players returning from the team’s disappointing 41-41 campaign last season. The Rockets, who could add two more players under league rules to their training camp roster, will open preseason action against the Shanghai Sharks on October 2.

While Houston will likely not fill both training camp roster spots, there is a strong possibility that the Rockets will add one more player prior to the season commencing at the end of October, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Feigen reported that new head coach Mike D’Antoni believes that a deal between the team and restricted free agent Donatas Motiejunas will ultimately get done.

Morey would not say much about talks with Motiejunas. D'Antoni sounded confident he will be signed, big part of rotation.

— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) September 23, 2016

“Obviously, we want him here as soon as we can, but he’s got to take care of his business and the team has to take care of its business,” D’Antoni said. “When it comes to basketball, we’d love to have him. He’s going to be a big part. He does a lot of things as far as playmaking that we need. He moves the ball. And he’ll be ready. As soon as the business part is taken care of, he’ll be ready. He’s always ready.”

The Rockets could use some added depth to their frontcourt, especially after the recent trade of Michael Beasley to the Milwaukee Bucks. Houston received backup point guard Tyler Ennis in return.

Beasley would likely have battled second-year pro Montrezl Harrrell for a spot in the rotation. While not a true four-man, Beasley is an explosive scorer and a decent rebounder off the bench. He averaged 12.8 points and 4.9 rebounds in 18.2 minutes in 20 games last season.

Right now, Houston is projected to start Ryan Anderson at power forward and Clint Capella at center. Nene and Harrell are the only other bigs currently assured of a spot in the rotation. Rookies Chinanu Onuaku and Kyle Wiltjer are the other frontcourt players in camp. Onuaku, the No. 37 overall pick in 2016, and Wiltjer, who went undrafted out of Gonzaga, could end up beginning the season in the D-league with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Motiejunas is still on the open market because he has been reluctant to take Houston’s $3.4 million qualifying offer, preferring a long-term deal. Former NBA player B.J. Armstrong, the 7-foot power forward’s agent, is not thrilled how negotiations between the team and his client are going.

“They haven’t made us a serious offer,” Armstrong told Calvin Watkins of ESPN. “Our moment of truth will be October 1. We’ll make a decision on that date.”

NBA salary cap expert Larry Coon stated that if Motiejunas does not accept the Rockets qualifying offer, and it is not rescinded, he will continue to be a restricted free agent. Coon went on to add that the team and player are free to negotiate a new contract after the qualifying offer expires — the deadline only affects the player’s ability to accept his qualifying offer.

Motiejunas had a tough start to the 2015-16 campaign, missing the first month-and-a-half as he was recovering from back issues that cost him the final 11 games of the 2015-16 campaign and the entire playoffs that year. After appearing in 14 games for the Rockets last year, Houston sent him to Detroit, but the Pistons rescinded the trade after his physical raised red flags about the health of his back.

Motiejunas played in 23 regular season and the playoffs for Houston after the trade fell through. He put up 6.2 points and 2.9 boards in just under 15 minutes of action. Motiejunas is a stretch-four who has the ability to make hook shots with either hand. The 26-year-old would likely be paired with Nene on the team’s second unit, if he signs.

In addition to Ennis, Anderson, as well as Nene, Onuaku, Pablo Prigioni, and Eric Gordon, are the newcomers with guaranteed contracts. Wiltjer, Bobby Brown, Isaiah Taylor, and Gary Payton II are also new to the team, though they possess non-guaranteed deals.

Houston has 14 players with fully guaranteed contracts, meaning there is an open roster spot up for grabs during training camp. Wiltjer is likely the favorite to win the spot, unless Motiejunas comes aboard. Wiltjer, Brown, Taylor, and Payton II will likely join Wiltjer in Rio Grande Valley at the start of the season.

Houston is celebrating 50 years of basketball this season.

[Featured Image by Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Photo]