Donatas Motiejunas is doing well with the Shanghai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association although games have been temporarily paused due to the coronavirus issue. Like most foreigners, the Lithuanian temporarily left the country for apparent reasons. However, there is the word that the CBA will be resuming soon.
With Motiejunas idle, his performance did not escape attention from some NBA teams. The Phoenix Suns and the Minnesota Timberwolves reportedly reached out to the 29-year-old but this was when the CBA was temporarily on hold. Any chance of Motiejunas returning to the NBA will have to wait as he focuses on his deal with the Sharks. According to Emiliano Carcha of Sportando, Motiejunas will be returning to China on Mar. 16. The league plans to resume gameplay in April.
Joining the Suns and the Timberwolves at this juncture hardly made sense. For one, both are out of the NBA playoff picture. Hence, adding the 7-footer would likely be part of a rebuilding effort for next season. Also, teams seriously bent on getting him will have to discuss the contract of Motiejunas. With the CBA set to restart, both teams could revisit the 20th overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft in the summer.
For now, the best Motiejunas can do is to continue performing at high levels. So far, he has played in 28 games and is averaging 22.8 points and 15.1 rebounds per outing. But of course, most know that the NBA is far different from the CBA. Those numbers may look impressive but unlikely the same production Motiejunas can deliver if he returns. He last played for the San Antonio Spurs and holds career averages of 7.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists.
The Suns and the Timberwolves are expected to take in new faces next season. However, seeing the Lithuanian blend in is up for debate. Both teams have big men up front, meaning Motiejunas could be used as a backup. If that would be the case, he may not last that long and end up returning to the CBA in the end.
If not the CBA, Motiejunas also has offers from Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League, Donatas Urbonas reported. Hence, he does have options and Motiejunas would do best to weigh them thoroughly. Other teams could come knocking but at the end of the day, he needs to figure out which offers best results for his basketball career outlook. For now, returning to the NBA may not be rewarding and may end up seeing him spending more time on the bench.
