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Rockets Report: NBPA Looking To A File A Grievance For Donatas Motiejunas

By Brian K. Patterson

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It has been an amazing turn of events for the Houston Rockets this season.

From the firing of Kevin McHale to how this team has totally underachieved is nothing short of astounding.

The inconsistency of this basketball team is downright frustrating and it totally keys in to why they haven’t reached the level of success as they did last year.

I could easily raise a notion that nothing can seem to go right so far this year as the old adage remains true.

Which one?

If it’s not one thing, it’s another.

Yep, that’s what I’m talking about.

Even the trade the Rockets had made before the annual deadline failed but that wasn’t necessarily all the their fault.

The three-team trade that was to send Donatas Motiejunas and Marcus Thornton to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Joel Anthony — who was later shipped to the Philadelphia 76ers — was voided by the NBA.

As you know, the Pistons were concerned about D-Mo’s back and did not approve of the trade after their doctors would not pass him on his physical to get the deal done.

This brought D-Mo back to Houston and Thornton eventually was shown the door after being waived just a few days later.

I’m sure it was disappointing for both parties but for D-Mo, it was a form of redemption.

He has been back for five games since and is starting to look like his old self again, being inserted into the starting lineup and being that “Stretch Four” that we all hoped for this season.

As a result though, as per Yahoo Sports’ Marc J. Spears, the NBA Players’ Association is looking to file a grievance for the NBA voiding the trade.

D-Mo has not minced words in regard to the Pistons decision indicating that he was “screwed” when the void happened a few weeks back.

Here’s what else he told Lithuanian hoops outlet Basketnews.Lt:

"“The team doctor simply says whether you pass or don’t, although they may not do any checks,” Motiejunas said. “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 of the trade. They changed their minds.”"

What’s peculiar is that the Rockets almost immediately cleared him to play when the trade was rescinded and he seems to moving along just fine.

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D-Mo is understandably upset because he will be a restricted free agent this summer and the news coming about his back will likely lower his value on the market.

I’m sure it’s down from his peak of last year where he was reliable regular in the Rockets’ starting lineup.

I have no doubt that the Rockets want to keep him but depending on his value, he could fetch more than what the Rockets were willing to offer him.

But with his RFA status, the team has to right to match any offer a suitor could make but that remains to be seen if they actually do it even with the large amount of cash they will have as a result of the salary cap increasing this off season.

In addition to that, because of cap restrictions, the Rockets were unable to give the D-Mo the extension he deserved this past off season.

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Stan Van Gundy, who’s the Pistons president and head coach, mentioned that the trade “was too much risk” because of his D-Mo’s back.

Here’s how he elaborated to Michigan Live:

"“Look I feel bad for him, too, because I understand his point in terms of his value and everything else,” Van Gundy said. “But we felt we had to make the decision we made.”"

You know what?

I’m with D-Mo!

Van Gundy did screw him badly because every general manager out there is going to use this news as an excuse to not pay him as much as he would’ve commanded on the open market.

D-Mo works extremely hard at what he does and his story as to how he has risen to relevance is one anybody could be proud of.

Hell, I remember he continued to bounce back-and-forth to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers because he still hadn’t quite worked things out as far as fundamentals.

But he gets it now and I honestly think that the only thing that can stop is his back to which that hasn’t been the case so far in his short while back.

I’m not quite sure what the NBPA would get — other than making a statement with the grievance — by deciding to file the grievance.

I seriously doubt D-Mo would get any monetary compensation but you never know.

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But I’m all for D-Mo for keep playing and to show the Pistons night-in and out — as well as the rest of the league — that they made a big mistake by having concerns about his back.

Give ’em hell D-Mo!

Go Rockets.

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