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The weekend has started off with a bang for the Rockets. Early this morning, as many reported on Twitter, Donatas Motiejunas and the Rockets agreed to a new, separate deal of 4 years, $35 million. This deal is similar to the offer sheet that D-Mo signed with the Nets and was later matched by the Rockets, but includes some subtle details that make it very team friendly.
Adrian Wojnarowski reported these details first (of course):
Paramaters of new Rockets-Motiejunas deal are similar to Nets offer sheet, with only one season fully guaranteed, league sources said.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) December 9, 2016
Motiejunas will make $8.3M this season -- and Houston will own a team option in each July of next three seasons, sources said.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) December 9, 2016
Team options in each July of the next three seasons?!? Daryl Morey, you've truly outdone yourself this time. Another important aspect of the two sides reaching a completely separate deal (the Rockets pulled the offer sheet they matched in order to negotiate this one), is that D-Mo can now be traded after three months and does not have to consent to any trades.
What is going through the minds of many fans and analysts right now is what in the world was B.J. Armstrong planning on doing by convincing D-Mo to not report to the team after the Rockets matched the Nets' offer sheet? Armstrong talked about exercising "their rights," but all he did was turn around and agree to a contract that is heavily favoring the Rockets. Anyone want to place bets on how long it is until Motiejunas fires Armstrong?
Anyways, it's nice to officially have D-Mo back. Calvin Watkins is reporting that he will pass his physical today and be ready to join the team in the next couple of days, so now it's up to Mike D'Antoni to comfortably fit Motiejunas in to a team that has been on a roll recently.
Donuts is back!