Grading The Houston Rockets’ Deal With The Detroit Pistons

The Houston Rockets have finally gotten into gear at the NBA’s trade deadline, moving Donatas Motiejunas and Marcus Thornton to the Detroit Pistons.

It took awhile, and didn’t start the way Houston Rockets’ fans hoped or expected, but the Rockets’ organization is finally on the board at the NBA trade deadline. With just a couple of hours to go until the end of deadline day, the Rockets have sent Donatas Motiejunas and Marcus Thornton to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for center Joel Anthony and a top-eight protected 2016 draft pick.

The dropper of all trade-related knowledge, Adrian Wojnarowski, provided the details as seen above.

The Rockets had waited all through November for Motiejunas to return from his April back surgery as a result of a herniated disk, which he did on December 5th against the Sacramento Kings, but was sidelined with more issues related to his back after just 14 games. In those games, he broke the 20 minute mark only four times, and scored in double digits only three times.

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Motiejunas was a piece of the puzzle that the Rockets had hoped would fit back into place all season, but just wasn’t able to gain traction due to the injury. In spite of the fact that he missed the playoffs last season, he had a breakout regular campaign, scoring 12 points and adding 5.9 rebounds per game with shooting splits of .504/.368/.602. In his shortened time this season, his shooting numbers remained in line, if not a bit better, with splits of .500/.412/.643.

Motiejunas will be a restricted free agent this offseason, and the Pistons were expected to be suitors for his services once the free agency period begins. That’s due in no small part to his former agent, Arn Tellem, also being Vice Chairman of Palace Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Pistons.

As for Thornton, he has languished somewhat inexplicably on the Rockets bench. He’s played over 20 minutes in just five of his past 16 games for the Rockets, scoring 8.9 points and adding two rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in that span. On the season, Thornton is averaging 10 points and 2.4 assists per game, and has shooting splits of .400/.338/.879.

The field goal and three-point shooting percentages are down this season from his career marks of 42.6 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from long range, but that can be said about all the Rockets this season. As we are beginning to suspect, there must be something in the water over there.

In exchange, the Pistons are sending center Joel Anthony and a top-eight protected draft pick back to Houston. Anthony hasn’t provided the Pistons much this season, having played a total of 52 minutes in 13 appearances, scoring nine points and grabbing 15 rebounds in total, but he’s a known commodity as a great locker room guy. It goes without saying that this deal might be worth it simply for the boost in chemistry for this roster.

It’s possible that the Rockets will sit on the Pistons’ draft pick and actually utilize it in the draft, but it’s also possible that this draft pick will be a sweetener to add in on a deal to move center Dwight Howard, which is still the organization’s top priority, or point guard Ty Lawson.

Related Story: 2016 NBA Trade Deadline Live Tracker

Either way, the Rockets turned what has been effectively nothing for them this season into something beneficial, and the organization will take that as a win.

Grade: B-