Pistons void Donatas Motiejunas trade

The Detroit Pistons, after getting an extra 24 hours on the trade window to approve physicals, are set to void their deadline day trade with the Rockets, according to Yahoo! Sports. They did not like the condition of Donatas Motiejunas’s back and won’t approve his physical.

I know many fans love D-Mo — myself included — but this is not good news for the Rockets.

They lose out on the first round pick from Detroit, a valuable asset in either a trade or for adding a young player. They are now over the luxury tax. And the worst news? A team that was in love with Motiejunas (Detroit) determines that they don’t want him based on the physical. That likely means they saw long-term back issues.

The Rockets are not in a good spot here. They now bring back two players in D-Mo and Marcus Thornton that they actually traded while still trying to make things work with a handful of others that they tried to trade. Yes, many will draw comparisons to the 1994 trade, also with the Pistons, of Robert Horry and Matt Bullard for Sean Elliott that the Rockets later vetoed based on a physical, but keep in mind — back then, the Rockets were getting back the healthy players.

As for D-Mo, he will be back for the final 26 games with the Rockets then enter restricted free agency this summer.