Patrick Beverley is on course to make his regular-season debut for the Houston Rockets, which means the team is finally whole again!
Well, almost whole.
Head coach Mike D’Antoni was quick to point out that the Rockets won’t be whole until they bring back Donatas Motiejunas—assuming they bring him back at all, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle:
Of Beverley's return making Rockets whole MDA said, "Almost. We still have Motiejunas out there."
No talks, new offers, source said Monday.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) November 15, 2016
Motiejunas was a restricted free agent over the summer and has taken his talents overseas after failing to reach an agreement with the Rockets or any other team. Marc Stein of ESPN.com previously said the Rockets’ latest offer to the seven-footer was somewhere between $7 and $8 million annually.
It’s hardly surprising that D’Antoni wants Motiejunas in tow. He can play the 4 or the 5 and, in theory, can space the floor while protecting the rim. The Rockets don’t have that potential in any of their other bigs. Clint Capela polices the paint but doesn’t have much range; Nene is only an OK defender and mid-range spacer; and Ryan Anderson, while a three-point sniper, seldom plays a lick of defense.
If the Rockets reach an agreement with Motiejunas after getting Beverley back. their outlook suddenly changes a great deal. They don’t have much defensive depth right now, and those two, assuming good health, would give them a better chance of fielding a rotation that can be a plus on both sides of the floor.
