NBA Trade Deadline: Donatas Motiejunas Perfect for Pistons

The Detroit Pistons have made yet another move. This time around, Stan Van Gundy traded for Houston Rockets big man Donatas Motiejunas. It’s a gem of a move.

Since taking over as head coach and president basketball of operations for the Detroit Pistons, Stan Van Gundy has been as active on the trade market as any executive in the NBA. After dealing for Reggie Jackson a season ago, Van Gundy acquired a second rising star in 2016 in the form of Tobias Harris on Tuesday, February 16.

Despite the obvious impact of those two significant moves, Van Gundy isn’t done dealing.

Detroit made another splash on the day of the 2016 NBA Trade Deadline. Building around Jackson and All-Star center Andre Drummond, Van Gundy took the next step towards recreating the glory of the late 2000s Orlando Magic by adding to Detroit’s depth at both shooting guard and power forward.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Pistons will receive power forward Donatas Motiejunas and shooting guard Marcus Thornton from the Houston Rockets.

The cost of doing business will be center Joel Anthony and a protected 2016 first-round draft pick.

This should go down as one of the better moves of Van Gundy’s already active tenure.

Detroit is solid at forward with Harris and Marcus Morris expected to start at the 3 and 4 spots. Rookie Stanley Johnson is showing great potential at small forward, and Anthony Tolliver has helped space the floor from power forward.

What Motiejunas brings to the table is an individual combination of the skills that have made up the Pistons’ carousel of power forwards.

Motiejunas can do it all offensively, and is committed to helping the team with his physicality and improving footwork on defense.

Motiejunas is 25 years old and in his fourth NBA season. Thus, it stands to reason that he’ll continue to do what he’s done since entering the association in 2012-13: improve individually and help his team win.

2014-15 was a prime example of exactly how valuable Motiejunas can be to a team in pursuit of the postseason.

James Harden was the star of the 2014-15 Houston Rockets, but that broken roster relied heavily on Motiejunas. With the likes of Patrick Beverley, Terrence Jones, and Dwight Howard all missing significant time, Motiejunas was given the chance to shine.

The Lithuanian big man rose to the occasion, averaging 12.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.9 offensive boards, and 1.8 assists on a slash line of .504/.368/.602.

Clearly, the free throw shooting is an issue; Pistons fans are already checked into weekly anger management courses due to Andre Drummond’s horrendous form at the charity stripe. What Motiejunas brings to the table, however, is an offensive versatility that Van Gundy covets and cherishes.

Standing at 7’0″, the 25-year-old can space the floor from beyond the arc, crash the offensive glass, facilitate from the elbow, and operate with a vast array of moves with his back to the basket.

If you’re not excited about adding a player who can do that, then what exactly are you looking for?

Defensively, Motiejunas is an acceptable player who can hold his own down low. He limited opponents to 48.8 percent shooting when he met them at the rim in 2014-15, per NBA.com, which is an above-average mark.

Motiejunas won’t be confused with an elite defensive player, but he puts his size to good use when healthy—an issue for a player who missed all but one game in the 2015 NBA Playoffs, and all but 14 outings thus far in 2015-16.

Nevertheless, his value is legitimate and his recovery from injury is progressing well.

Clearly, Motiejunas is not an offensive star. What he offers, however, is a complete skill set for a power forward who can split time at center and score from just about anywhere on the court—something Van Gundy had in Orlando with the likes of Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu.

None of the four are yet shooters of Lewis’ caliber or playmakers of Turkoglu’s, but between Harris, Johnson, Morris, and Motiejunas, Detroit just built the perfect combination of forwards to complement Drummond and Jackson.

More hoops habit: Which NBA Trade Deadline deals helped teams become championship contenders?

Motiejunas could be a genuine gem of an acquisition for Van Gundy’s Pistons if he’s able to stay healthy.