Houston Rockets trade rumors: Rockets still without a deal with Donatas Motiejunas

With the pre-season officially underway, the Houston Rockets still have some issues to iron out regarding a deal with forward Donatas Motiejunas.

Reports have revealed that the Rockets and the Lithuanian player have yet to agree on a contract, with the deadline to sign the offer close.

According to Motiejunas' agent BJ Armstrong, the deadline to sign the deal is at midnight of Sunday, and they have given the Rockets until Saturday to work out a deal with his client.

Motiejunas is looking for a bigger contract than what the Rockets have presented him, and this has resulted in a stalemate for two teams.

The Rockets have 19 players in their roster at the moment, with one remaining spot which is assumed to be for Motiejunas. Unfortunately, the player believes he is worth much more than the initial value that was given to him.

At the moment, there is a $4.4 million qualifying offer on the line and if Motiejunas fails to sign it, and lets it expire, then there are a few things he can do.

First is eventually signing for the Rockets on a one-year deal for less money, while having the power to grant the club permission to trade him when needed.

Next is Motiejunas can accept a contract with either the Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets or Brooklyn Nets, although that is highly unlikely as those teams have a full roster at the moment.

Finally, Motiejunas can play a season overseas to improve his stock and give him important experience.

Despite being regarded as an important piece of the team, Motiejunas is still far from signing a contract. 

Entering his fifth year in the league, he averages 7.8 points per game while shooting a decent 48 per cent from the field.

He can definitely be an asset to any team, but it is still a question whether the Rockets are willing to invest more in their player.