Photo Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Pelicans’ Donatas Motiejunas Is Suing The Houston Rockets

Earlier this season, Motiejunas was a restricted (Rockets) free agent. He was offered a four-year, $35 million deal, with bonuses worth $2 million in December by the Brooklyn Nets. The Houston Rockets agreed to match the contract and keep Motiejunas, but Houston got rid of some of the Nets’ bonuses, making the contract worth ‘only’ $31 million. That’s where the trouble began.

Donatas Motiejunas didn’t rejoin the Rockets because he did not report for his physical. Long story short, Houston opted out, making him an unrestricted free agent.

After becoming an unrestricted free agent, Motiejunas was eligible to sign with any team except for the Brooklyn Nets, since he signed an offer sheet with them that Houston matched. The NBA rulebook states that a player can’t sign with a team for one year after signing an offer sheet that is matched.

This led to him signing a contract with the New Orleans Pelicans for a veteran minimum of $1.5 million.

According to Sporting News, Motiejunas is “in the midst of an arbitration action against the Rockets and the NBA that is close to wrapping up” to get some of the millions he lost back.

The different parties are expected to agree to a settlement, most likely in the coming week. Seems like Motiejunas is getting paid after all.