The details are extensive and complicated, but after a drawn-out, multi-month restricted free agency in 2016 for Donatas Motiejunas that involved his previous NBA team (Houston), a prospective suitor (Brooklyn) and a series of snags, Motiejunas ended up not signing a contract with the Rockets or the Nets. As a result, he ultimately inked an in-season deal on the fly with New Orleans on Jan. 3. It was a less-than-ideal scenario for the 7-foot center/forward, whose 2016-17 season began in a brand-new city, about three months later than he expected.
“This season has definitely not been close to what I wanted to have, or how I wanted to play,” Motiejunas said, prior to the Pelicans’ April 12 finale at Portland.