I know we dont NEED him per se', but hey, having him would really help negate the lack of a rebounding pf: After turning down a deal worth $8 million per year with the Kings, Bonzi Wells says he wants to play for them this year. However, the Kings acquired John Salmons and have moved on. "There's nothing to that beyond the fact that Bonzi still has legitimate interests about wanting to play for us," GM Geoff Petrie said. "We've assembled a roster. We've basically moved on. We've made commitments. There's nothing that's changed, nothing that involves us." The future is still up in the air for Wells, but we expect him to sign a one-year deal with someone in the near future.
He won't sign here without a guarantee of minutes. Still, I'd like to sign him if nothing else comes up. He would be a great tradable assett at the deadline. IMO, Denver is obviously trying to set up a deal with the Clippers for Maggette and will be offering Joe Smith as an expiring contract. A player like Wells, if he did not fit in here, could be used to entice a team like the Clippers to send out Maggette. Wells would give them the same thing that Maggette gives them except on an expiring deal. If they were making a move in the West, that may be more enticing than an old big stiff. Bottom line is, he would be an assett. And whoever signs him is going to get a highly motivated player who is playing for a contract. Would his game fit here? I don't know. Would he be willing and capable of being the SG defender???? Offensively, he is a post up small forward. Don't know how that fits with us. But, he's still an assett, that if we played our cards right, we could turn him into a desirable commodity at the trading deadline.
I know we have gone over this in earlier threads, but, now that the dust has settled, who would be an acquireable (and decent) PF/C? I suspected we would pickup Scott Pollard, but that idea was clearly wrong. Considering my lack of trade expertise, I am at a loss to determine whom we could package Juwan and Luther + the 4.2 TE in exchange for a traditional PF (with healthy knees) and a second-rounder (TE for this pick)? If there is no PF/C in the cards for us, then I hope we go after Bonzi.
The trade exception can be used to acquire a player (or players) making up to $4.3 mil (4.2 mil + 100K) but we can't send a player along with the TE. Best to think of it as: Lakers send us someone like Chris Mihm (who makes about 4.3 mil) and we send a future draft pick. Something like that. As for a 4/5, I wish players like Okur or Murphy could be had for JHo/Luther, but those guys are expensive, JHo isn't worth them, and those other guys play for teams also jockeying to get into the WC playoff brackets.
I would seriously love to have Bonzi on this squad. We can definately offer him minutes, as the starting 2 is still a question mark. We could start Alston, Bonzi, Mac, Shane, and Yao. Thats not a bad starting 5 at all. And the 2-5 are great defenders. Bonzi brings intensity and is a great rebounder. Problem is, JVG doesnt deal with knuckleheads, and even if he did, theres no way in hell we can afford Wells.
Let's give up the Bonzi talk. Not only is he a knucklehead player, he's a knucklehead negotiator who stupidly overplayed his hand. Now that he realizes the playoff spurt didn't make him Carlos Beltran, he could be a bitter distraction for whatever team picks him up at a low price. To assume he will be motived because he's playing for a contact is a big assumption because he now knows the fat contract won't be coming. If he demands a guarantee of minutes to go someplace, the only real guarantee is that he will be looking out for #1 next year instead of the interests of his team. There is a reason he's bounced around his career and why he sat all summer without getting a better offer than the Kings.
If we got Wells it would be for cheap, and knucklehead or not, always take talent for cheap. I think its a very long shot that the Rockets can get him, but he would give them depth in the backcourt that right now is not there. As for demanding minutes, I don't see who's going to take them from him in Houston...Snyder? Probably not. If nothing else, he's better trade bait than anything we have right now.
Co-sign!! It's low risk, high reward. Whether the reward is a good player for us, or good trade bait to package with someone else; if we can somehow get Bonzi, I say do it in a heartbeat. Problem is, we have literally nothing to offer him.
I agree. He's a knucklehead, but a cheap one who only wants a one year deal. Worst case scenario is we trade him (like DA). He doesn't have the range we need, but he has size, toughness and rebounding (which we always need). If tracy goes down he can step up and score by creating his own shot. He's at least a better option than casey jacobsen. Don't forget, his name is bonzi. That's a clown's name.
Not good ones... We have VSpan (1 and 2), Rafer, and JLIII at PG We have VSpan (again 1 and 2), Snyder (could be good may not), Head (undersized). Bonzi would be a good 2 + he can help at the 3. I think he would be worth the money we would have to pay him.
the bottom line is we could play him more...while giving Tracy more rest. Come PLAYOFF time , Tmac dominates like he did against dallas (this time not in vain).
Do you guys think that Bonzi makes the players around him? Not being sarcastic, really looking for objective answers.
If we can get Bonzi, then we go and get Bonzi. Like we keep Azubukie if we sign Bonzi. As for the guard logjam, maybe we trade some guards for a 7' stiff to pick up fouls at the 5 spot. But Bonzi is helluva player, and you don't pass on talent like that if it's available.
A one-year deal for the rest of our MLE (if we have any left) is a no lose situation. If it doesn't work out, we can trade him to Miami for another trade exception, just like the Derek Anderson signing (which turned into the asset that got us Snyder). Or cut him, no big deal. Unless you would rather us sign Casey Jacobsen with our last spot, instead?
