Is Bonzi Right for the Rockets?

By Bill "The Rocket Guy" Ingram
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Sep 19, 2006, 09:54


Bonzi Wells was thought to be one of the top free agents on the market when the 2005-06 season came to an end. After a solid season as a member of the Sacramento Kings in which he averaged 13.6 points and 7.7 rebounds, Wells was a big part of the first round series that gave Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs a couple of sleepless nights. Wells cranked up the intensity, averaging 23.2 points and 12 rebounds per game while shooting 63% from the field in pushing the Spurs to six games.

Of course, it was the last gasp of his contract year.

Is this playoff version of Wells the version a prospective new team could expect to see after inking him to a fresh contract? It seems that question has kept anyone from offering him more than the five-year, $36 million the Kings offered him. But then the Kings weren’t particularly serious about keeping him, having already promised his starting job to the impressive Kevin Martin. The question becomes: how much does it cost to sign Wells if $36 million wasn’t enough?

The answer, at this point, is however much he can beg, borrow, or steal. The Rockets have only half of their mid-level exception to offer him outright, which amounts to just over $2 million for one season. They also have a valuable trade exception ($4.2 million) that could be used in a sign-and-trade with the Kings. Kings GM Geoff Petrie has said a number of times that he would be happy to help Bonzi get a better deal through a sign-and-trade, but has Bonzi waited too long now?

Let’s say he hasn’t. Let’s say the Rockets beat out Miami and Denver – the other two teams currently on Wells’ dance card. What exactly will they be getting?

What the Rockets would be looking for in signing Wells would be a little additional McGrady insurance. It’s really not possible to have too much McGrady insurance, as the team learned last season. For all of Tracy’s talk that his back is fine, the nature of his injury does not lend itself to being 100% . . .ever again. Battier will provide him some relief, as will Kirk Snyder, but adding Wells would virtually assure that Tracy’s minutes would be kept reasonably low and that he might actually be around late in the season when the team needs him most.

So that’s what the Rockets need from Wells. What does Wells need from the Rockets – aside from a paycheck?

If the Rockets somehow get Wells to agree to a one-year deal they might as well consider it a rental fee. He’ll be playing for numbers in order to enhance his free agency status for next summer. He might try to get his numbers at the expense of Yao Ming. He might try to get his numbers at the expense of the team. At 30 years of age Wells is looking to sign his last meaningful contract. He’ll want to make sure he gets the most money he can get, which is ultimately tied to his per game scoring average. On the other hand, he could decide that winning a championship might be the best way to make sure he has a lasting relationship with the Rockets, who could potentially pay him next summer.

The best option for Wells is to get the Kings to do a sign-and-trade to Houston for what’s left of their mid-level exception. Wells could wind up with a three-year deal that might not be the riches he dreamed of when his playoff run came to an end, but would certainly take care of his family for the rest of their lives.

Is that the best option for the Rockets? Given that the Rockets aren’t going to find the power they really need, Wells isn’t a bad addition to the team. He could wind up being a Sixth Man of the Year candidate – or in a worse-case scenario he could wind up being the starter in McGrady’s slot. If he starts going for his own stats instead of putting the team first there are certainly plenty of other players at his position for Jeff Van Gundy to use. Given the bargain price, why not take a risk on Bonzi?

Perhaps he can be to the Rockets what Mario Ellie was to them in the nineties. Yao and T-Mac seem to lack that killer instinct. Bonzi seems to elevate in the playoffs.

I would still LOVE to have Bonzi in San Antonio even though I know it is in no way possible..........

It does not matter what numbers Bonzi put up he will not even get close to the offer next year that he got from the kings.

He will get offered a mid level excpetion at best. Some wrote an article about that how players that turned down money just over the mid -level excption like Bonzi the next year they get less years and less money.

So Bonzi being the knuckle head he is turned down 36mil while guess what next year he will be lucky to get an offer of 25 million

i dont understand why they would go after bonzi when they already gave up swift and rudy gay for shane battier? it seems they gave up alot to get battier there, and then they go for bonzi? iam sure bonzi wont come off the bench and thats alot to give up (swift and gay) for a bench player (battier).

i agree with blondie though that bonzi would be awesome in a spurs uniform...i also dont see that happening either.

SsKSpurs21 wrote:i dont understand why they would go after bonzi when they already gave up swift and rudy gay for shane battier? it seems they gave up alot to get battier there, and then they go for bonzi? iam sure bonzi wont come off the bench and thats alot to give up (swift and gay) for a bench player (battier).

i agree with blondie though that bonzi would be awesome in a spurs uniform...i also dont see that happening either.

Trust me they where laughing all the way to the bank when they pawned swift of in that trade. Trust me the guy is a classic underachiver. He did not practice hard; showed up to practice late and is basically lazy.

He had talent but he wastes it and has no dedcation to the game he basiclly shows up and collects a paycheck and not much else.

Gay may turn out to be the real deal though. That is who the logo wanted.