Monaco’s Lithuanian star interior Donatas Motiejunas, 31, has extended his contract with Roca Team, with which he is linked, by one season until June 2023, the Principality club announced on Monday.
Motiejunas (2.13m), who has more than 250 NBA appearances, arrived on the Rock last season from China, where he was considered one of the best players in the championship.
An essential element for coach Sasa Obradovic, Motiejunas indicated on the club’s website that “the ideal, in terms of objectives, would be a Final 4 in the Euroleague and a victory in the league”.
“We have the weapons to do it,” he said. For him, “this year, the team can only be better (than last year, editor’s note) when you look at the many quality reinforcements with long-term contracts”.
After Mike James, Donta Hall, Alpha Diallo and Yakuba Ouattara, Motiejunas is the fifth player from last season’s squad to extend with ASM, which has also recruited a lot: the French Adrien Moerman, Matthew Strazel, Yoan Makoundou and the international Elie Okobo, but also the American strong wingers John Brown III and Jaron Blossomgame, as well as the American point guard Jordan Lloyd.
Never crowned in the French championship, Monaco was beaten to the snatch by Villeurbanne in the final of the Elite last season.