By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Denver Nuggets were about to send Bol Bol to the Detroit Pistons in an agreed trade, however, things didn’t go smoothly at all as the transfer fell apart. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the player didn’t pass the physical and the trade has been voided.
The news got a lot of reactions and one, in particular, may be worth a special mention. Donatas Motiejunas felt first-hand how a failed trade due to physical can impact one’s career, and he called on the NBPA to pay more attention to such cases.
“How many times the NBPA will let this happen… I was failed on physicals and told by Detroit doctors I will not play basketball again… six years later, I am still here and have many years to go. They’re destroying young players’ names and futures in the NBA by doing this,” Motiejunas pointed out.
On February 18, 2016, Motiejunas and Marcus Thornton were traded to the Pistons in a three-team trade involving the Rockets and the Sixers. However, four days later, the Pistons rescinded their trade following a failed physical by the Lithuanian, who, it should be noted, had some back issues earlier.
Soon after, Motiejunas returned to the court for the Rockets who went on to the playoffs. In the first round, Houston faced the first-seeded Golden State Warriors, and in a Game 3 win. Motiejunas recorded 14 points and 13 rebounds for his first career double-double in the postseason.
The Lithuanian big continued his career without serious issues health-wise but his NBA career derailed and he moved on from the US, playing in China for a few years and finally returning to Europe for AS Monaco this season.
The 31-year-old has been averaging ten points and four rebounds for Monaco across 28 games in Euroleague and the French championship.