the second restart, Mercedess cautious strategy of stayi

The Brooklyn Nets have signed restricted free-agent forward Donatas Motiejunas, as expected, to a four-year offer sheet potentially worth as much as $37 million, according to league sources.But sources told ESPN.com on Friday night that the uniquely structured deal is fully guaranteed for only $5 million of that total and rising to $17.5 million if Motiejunas has earned his 2017-18 option by March 1, terms that could well encourage the Houston Rockets to match the Brooklyn offer sheet.The Rockets will have a 72-hour window, ending at Monday at 11:59 p.m., to decide whether to match the offer or let Motiejunas join the Nets.?I have to talk to the owner before we make a decision, Houston general manager Daryl Morey said Friday night. Theres been a lot of restricted free agents that went late into the season, several into December. Its a process thats part of how things work. Sometimes it takes a little longer, but were happy its going to come to a resolution.The Nets have been weighing the move internally for some time and, according to sources, are comfortable with where Motiejunas is medically, after back issues scuttled the Rockets trade of ?him to the?Detroit Pistons?in February.That history of back trouble, however, led the Nets to structure Motiejunas contract with a number of protections against long-term risk. Sources say he will earn $5 million immediately just by signing the contract, but the team that has him on its roster as of Tuesday must decide by Jan. 10 whether to guarantee an additional $3.5 million for this season or let him go at that point. By March 1, sources said, Motiejunas full $9 million option for the 2017-18 must then be picked up or declined.Im happy, Motiejunas, a 26-year-old native of Lithuania, told ESPNs Calvin Watkins on Friday. Its [been] way too long, I waited so long; I just wanted to play basketball.Even better, it showed they believed in me, Motiejunas said of the Nets. They put me through a number of tests [on his back], and they saw that Im as healthy as anybody else. After Detroit, everybody was questioning me. They showed a commitment that Im going to be a piece of their future; if not, Ill be happy with Houston, too.After signing the offer sheet, Motiejunas flew to Houston, where he will await the Rockets decision on whether to match it. Although the final two seasons of the contract are non-guaranteed, Motiejunas ?can clinch the total of nearly $18 million in guaranteed money if he plays into March with no health issues.?Houston pulled its most recent offer to Motiejunas on Nov. 22, when the sides couldnt come to terms on a deal before the Rockets self-imposed Nov. 22 deadline.?Nov. 23 was the last day that players could be signed this season and remain eligible to be dealt on the leagues annual trade-deadline day, which falls on Feb. 23. ESPN reported in early November that the Rockets, as a result, picked that date as their own internal deadline to sign Motiejunas, fearing his value would decrease if they didnt have the ability to trade him.The Nets, sources said, specifically waited until this week to sign Motiejunas, in part because they hope Houston will be less inclined to match an offer for him now. The Rockets will be unable to trade Motiejunas for a year without his consent if they elect to match the offer.The Nets had more than $18 million in available salary-cap ?space to assemble an offer Houston might find unpalatable. New Nets general manager Sean Marks, though, was foiled twice in restricted free agency over the summer, seeing hefty offer sheets to Miamis Tyler Johnson (four years, $50 million) and Portlands Allen Crabbe (four years, $75 million) matched by those teams.Sources told Stein on Nov. 4 that the Rockets were offering a two-year deal starting in the $7 million range but with only the first season fully guaranteed for the 7-foot, 223-pound Motiejunas.ESPN reported last week that Motiejunas was surprised and upset that negotiations with the Rockets had dragged on so long. Motiejunas could have made himself an unrestricted free agent next summer had he been willing to play out this season on Houstons $4.4 million qualifying offer, but he let the qualifier expire Oct. 1, hopeful that a long-term deal would materialize.The Rockets have been unwilling to guarantee more than the first year of a multiyear deal in a nod to Motiejunas injury history. Houston traded him to Detroit in February, only for the Pistons to void the deal and send him back to the Rockets because of a failed physical stemming from Motiejunas back troubles.ESPNs Calvin Watkins contributed to this report. Wholesale NHL Jerseys Authentic . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . Pierce was ejected in the third quarter of Indianas 103-86 win Monday. 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Formula One championship leader Nico Rosberg said he was happy to settle for second place in Sundays Brazilian Grand Prix, despite seeing his title lead reduced to 12 points.Mercedes teammate and title rival Lewis Hamilton claimed a comfortable victory at a chaotic rain-hit race in Brazil to cut the deficit to Rosberg, ensuring the championship will go down the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Rosberg could have sealed his maiden F1 title with a win at Interlagos but now only needs a top-three finish in Abu Dhabi to secure the championship.It didnt go my way today with the win, Lewis just did a great job, the German conceded. It was very difficult conditions out there but I can live with second today. I was hoping for the win but second was OK.Despite being passed by Max Verstappen following the second restart, Mercedess cautious strategy of staying on full wets allowed Rosberg to reclaim second when Red Bull opted to switch to intermediates,, a decision which proved to be the wrong call as rain continued to fall.ddddddddddddSeveral drivers -- including home favourite Felipe Massa -- crashed out in the tricky conditions, while Verstappen and Rosberg were able to save scary moments of their own heading up the hill onto the straight-finish straight.When asked about his incident, Rosberg replied: That is true yes. It worked out fine to stay on track.Speaking about Verstappens near-miss, Rosberg added: I arrived on the straight and I saw him pointing 90 degrees towards the wall, I was like what the hell.In a race laden with numerous incidents and stoppages, Rosberg believes the hectic grand prix was well managed by the stewards.It was on the limit but in the end they got it right. They did a good job judging it but it was quite a fine line out there. ' ' '