The Detroit Pistons announced today that the team has acquired forward/center Donatas Motiejunas and guard Marcus Thornton from the Houston Rockets in exchange for center Joel Anthony and a protected 2016 first-round draft pick.
Motiejunas, 7-0, 222, has appeared in 191 games in his four-year NBA career and averaged 8.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists with the Rockets. He averaged career highs in points (12.0 ppg), rebounds (5.9 rpg), assists (1.8 apg), minutes (28.7 mpg), field goal percentage (.504) and games (71) last season.
Thornton, a six-year NBA veteran, averaged 10.0 points and 1.4 assists in 47 games with the Rockets this season. In 436 career NBA games, he’s averaged 12.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists with New Orleans, Sacramento, Brooklyn, Boston, Phoenix and Houston.
Anthony, 33, saw action in 62 games as a Piston and averaged 1.5 points and 1.7 rebounds. He was acquired from the Boston Celtics on October 17, 2014 in exchange for Will Bynum and re-signed with the Pistons on July 20, 2015.