The Houston Rockets is rumored to be willing to let go of Donatas Motiejunas as the two sides were not able to reach a contract extension agreement after the deadline passed on Sunday.

Motiejunas, who turned 26 last month, is in the final year of his four-year, $6.5 million rookie deal which made him a restricted free agent this summer. A $4.4 million qualifying offer was tendered to him by the Rockets for the coming season, but the Lithuanian 7-footer did not accept it.

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Interested clubs could have offered him a contract as a free agent, but the said teams were reportedly hesitant to extend any proposals as they are wary of the power forward's history of recurring back problems.

With the deadline passed and the qualifying offer expired, Motiejunas future with the Rockets is getting more and more uncertain.

CBS Sports noted that Motiejunas' situation is "rare but not unprecedented" as it is quite similar to what happened with Cleveland Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson last summer.

Thompson and the Cavs were still on a stalemate long after the team's qualifying offer had expired, but the two sides eventually reached a five-year, $82 million agreement on Oct. 21, which was a few days before the 2015-2016 regular season started.

However, that it is "unlikely" to happen in the case of Motiejunas as NBA teams, including his current squad the Rockets, are "reluctant to invest long-term money in him because of his health."

Motiejunas was considered one of the most gifted low-post players in the league and is also an above average outside shooter and defender in a 7-foot, 222-pound frame. He averaged 12.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 2014-2015 before his back problems surfaced.

He began experiencing lower back tightness and pain in January 2015, which eventually required an operation to fix in April of the same year. He returned in December 2015, but 14 games later, his back issues re-emerged.

Motiejunas was traded to the Detroit Pistons in February 2016 but was rescinded four days later because he did not pass the physical exam.

ESPN noted that at this time the options left for Motiejunas are to sign a lower one-year contract with the Rockets, accept a deal with other teams, try his luck overseas, or just sit out the coming season. Right now, only the Sixers, Nuggets, and Nets have the cap space to accommodate Motiejunas.

TagsNBA News & Rumors, NBA News & Rumors 2016, Donatas Motiejunas, houston rockets, Houston Rockets rumors