Baylor’s Johnathan Motley didn’t see his draft night go as planned — no call from any team.

Baylor star Motley from North Shore never got the call

An emotional Johnathan Motley stood outside his family’s northeast Houston home late Thursday night surrounded by family and friends.

After five long hours, Baylor’s star power forward, a projected early second-round pick in the 2017 NBA draft, finally had received a phone call — just not the one he wanted.

He would not be one of the 60 players selected over the course of two rounds. NBA teams had “red-flagged” the Houston native and former North Shore standout due to his knee surgery last spring following a standout season with the Bears.

Motley (6-9, 230) suffered a torn meniscus cartilage following a season-ending, Sweet 16 loss to South Carolina on March 24, but he told WacoTrib.com he was “100 percent” healthy entering the draft.

Instead, he will have to go the free-agent route. The Dallas Mavericks are one team to express an interest.

“We just have to see what God has in store for him,” said Motley’s mother, Willie. “We’ve just got to move forward.”

Up until Motley got the call from his agent, the atmosphere at his draft watch party was optimistic. More than 50 people were on hand to see the 22-year-old’s name be called at draft headquarters in New York.

Chants of “Jay–Mot!” rang out in a packed living room for much of the night as the jubilant crowd awaited the pick that never came. After the 42nd pick, many in attendance were hopeful he would go to his hometown Rockets.

Instead, the Rockets took Isaiah Hartenstein at 43rd overall and traded their other pick, No. 45, to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Motley, who won the Karl Malone Award as the nation’s top power forward, averaged a teamhigh 17.3 points and Big 12-best 9.9 rebounds per game.

The 2017 second-team consensus All-American didn’t get to join four other Houston-area products — Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox (No. 5), North Carolina’s Justin Jackson (No. 15), Kansas State’s Wesley Iwundu (No. 33) and University of Houston’s Damyean Dotson (No. 44) — who heard their names called during the draft.

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