Pistons rescind three-player trade with Rockets and 76ers

The Detroit Pistons rescinded a three-player, three-team trade with the Houston Rockets and Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, saying not all the players involved were cleared medically.

Pistons General Manager Jeff Bower announced the decision but did not provide details, citing medical privacy.

Houston had traded guard Marcus Thornton and center Donatas Motiejunas to Detroit last week for center Joel Anthony and a protected, first-round draft pick this year. The Rockets also made the move to acquire the draft rights of forward Chukwudiebere Maduabum from Philadelphia.

Thornton averaged 10 points in his first 47 games with Houston. Motiejunas started 62 games for the Rockets last season, but appeared in just 14 games this season after having back surgery. Anthony has been a seldom-used reserve for the Pistons.

The Pistons kept Thornton and Motiejunas out of Sunday’s game against New Orleans because the trade had not been finalized.

Motiejunas went through extensive tests in New York, and they weren’t finished before the game started. He had season-ending back surgery last April, didn’t play again until early December and has been sidelined again since Jan. 1 with recurring pain.

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The Dallas Mavericks signed veteran forward David Lee and waived guard John Jenkins. Lee was waived by Boston, where had he had fallen out of the rotation following an off-season trade with Golden State.

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The Milwaukee Bucks signed free-agent forward Steve Novak and requested waivers on forward Chris Copeland. Novak appeared in seven games for the Oklahoma City Thunder this season before being traded to Denver, which waived him last week.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Tennessee’s 31-year run in the top 25 is over. The Lady Vols streak of 565 consecutive weeks in the Associated Press women’s basketball poll ended as Tennessee fell out of the top 25. The streak started Feb. 17, 1985. Tennessee (16-11) had been teetering on the edge the past few weeks and finally dropped out after losing two of its three games last week.