New Orleans Pelicans reportedly close to signing free agent Donatas Motiejunas

Despite winning four straight games, the New Orleans Pelicans are set to insert injury-prone big man Donatas Motiejunas into their rotation on a minimum contract.

After months of cycling through players to take up the fifteenth spot on their roster, it appears the New Orleans Pelicans have found their guy: News broke Sunday morning that free agent big man Donatas Motiejunas was in advanced discussions with the team on a contract for the rest of the season.

If you’ve heard Motiejunas’ name over the past several months, it’s likely come from either Houston Rockets’ fans complaining mouths or media members attempting to understand the saga dragging on between team and player. The situation arose in February of this year, when the Rockets attempted to trade the Lithuanian big man to the Detroit Pistons at the trade deadline. The deal was ultimately rejected by Detroit because of concerns about the back injury that cost Motiejunas time last year.

Then, this summer, he became the latest in a yearslong pattern of restricted free agents holding out for more money in an attempt to take advantage of the NBA’s rules benefitting incumbent teams in those situations. Eventually, Motiejunas and his agent (former Bull) B.J. Armstrong agreed to a four-year, $35 million offer sheet with the Brooklyn Nets, which the Rockets matched as the incumbent.

That deal did not end the head-scratching fight between the two sides: Motiejunas failed to report for his physical to complete his deal with the Rockets, and the two sides scrapped that offer sheet with the intention of finding a new deal. They never did, so Houston eventually rescinded their rights to the big man and he became an unrestricted free agent.

Since then, he had reportedly visited with the Los Angeles Lakers and drawn interest from the Minnesota Timberwolves before ending up in this position, close to a deal with the Pelicans. As many have said on Twitter, it’s likely that the opportunity to earn buckets of minutes ahead of the exiled Alexis Ajinca and Omer Asik was a key part of Motiejunas’ willingness to sign. It appears we will finally see how a traditional, post-oriented big man will fit next to Anthony Davis in his prime.

That’s key: Motiejunas is different than what the Pelicans currently have, for better or worse. It’s especially interesting to consider this move within the context of the Pels’ recent success playing super small lineups around Davis; the team had won four consecutive games before Sunday’s news. Even Terrence Jones, the only non-AD big currently on the roster capable of fitting into this style, hasn’t gotten much run over the last few games, down to 18 in Friday’s victory over the Knicks.

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Now Motiejunas, who operates best in the paint on both offense and defense, will be thrown into the mix as a way to bring the Pels back toward a traditional style for a few minutes per game. He is a post-play maestro, capable of passing and scoring out of back-to-the-basket looks. He also has 3-point range, but opted to flash it less as his interior scoring improved over four years in Houston.

The defense is passable; in 2014-15, Motiejunas played 69 games and allowed a 54.6% success rate on shots taken by the opponent within six feet of the rim (basically, the paint). The league-leading Utah Jazz allow opponents to make 55.3% of those shots, for reference.

His offensive mobility carries over to the other end, where he can slide his feet well enough to survive as the final line of defense. Defending in isolation, his strength can match most of the other guys who play that way. Next to someone like Anthony Davis (or even Terrence Jones), he’s bound to look a lot better, as he did next to Dwight Howard when the two shared the court.

I would expect that early on, Motiejunas will play spot minutes in which coach Alvin Gentry can tinker with how a player like D-Mo fits within what the Pelicans already have. Their second unit is one that creaks out points and defends well; basically, trying to be a net neutral until Davis and/or Jrue Holiday can return to the court. Motiejunas won’t hurt any of that; if anything, he’ll inject some creativity and potential into that unit, which too often relies on wild Langston Galloway shots to score.

D-Mo isn’t quite as slick a passer as other foreign bigs like Nikola Jokic or the Gasol brothers, but his vision out of the post is enough that the lives of combo guards like Galloway and E’Twaun Moore will have an easier time. Run screens off the ball for shooters, and that style of scoring becomes easier. Something fun to monitor as well, if things proceed: What is the potential of a Motiejunas-Tyreke Evans pick-and roll? Both guys are pass/score double-threats out of those looks, and could pull off some post rub eye candy at full strength.

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Full strength, though, is the real thing to wait for, however much it resembles paint drying. Motiejunas is a 7-foot tower of damaged goods; the potential for excitement and impact is there, but it’s unlikely given the recent past.

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