It may have taken until 2017, but free-agent big man Dontas Motiejunas has finally found a new team.

According to The Vertical's Shams Charania, Motiejunas will sign a one-year, $1.5 million veteran's-minimum deal with the New Orleans Pelicans. As he did with the Rockets, Motiejunas will provide New Orleans an interior presence on both ends of the court. He is a solid defender and strong post player. The Pelicans can play him alongside Anthony Davis instead of Alexis Ajinca and/or the always disappointing Omer Asik.

If he remains healthy, Motiejunas will likely help the Pelicans' pursuit of a playoff spot. While the Pelicans started the season slow and are 14-21, they are tied with the Blazers for 10th in the West and are just a few games back from the eighth-seeded Kings. The Pelicans are also in the midst of a four-game win streak and are finally healthy with Tyreke Evans recently returning to the lineup.

Adding Motiejunas to a veteran's minimum deal is a win-win for the Pelicans. They are getting a quality player on the cheap and he should be a nice fit. But for Motiejunas, signing a veteran's minimum is definitely not what he envisioned happening after he flat out refused to report to the Rockets after Houston matched his offer sheet with the Brooklyn Nets.

After playing hardball with Houston all summer and into the season, Motiejunas signed a four-year offer sheet reportedly worth $37 million with the Nets in early December, which the Rockets matched. But the Rockets took out some incentives when they matched Brooklyn's offer and offered Motiejunas a four-year, $31 million deal. This $6 million difference didn't sit well with Motiejunas so he refused to show up for his physical with the Rockets.

Working with Motiejunas and his agent B.J. Armstrong, the Rockets agreed to sign him to a four-year $35 million deal that had bonuses that could pay him as much as $37 million over the life of the contract. However the drama didn't end there as perhaps due to the results of his physical, the Rockets renounced Motiejunas and made him an unrestricted free-agent. And now Motiejunas has signed the one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Pelicans.

Basketball wise it's a good fit. But money wise, trying to strong arm the Rockets cost Motiejunas a long-term deal that would've reportedly paid him close to $37 million.