[Denver Post] Rockets Still interested in Wells...

Nothing. Go back to sleep.

 

I'm eagerly awaiting further news myself. I sill think Wells wanting to play for us makes almost no sense. I agree that Wells coming here at all could be potentially dangerous, especially since he'd be playing for a contract next year and we're not going to give him a deal near what Sacto offered.

But he could be huge here nontheless. At the very least it will make an already peculiar roster very weird (IMHO) and these days when you have a shot to acquire proven talent on the cheap you have to do it regardles of the very short-term risk. Please BB gods, make it happen!

I never thought you'd agree so much with jopatmc (shows me how individual posts can be misleading) but I disagree with him only on the point of Steve/Cat not being told to run during Rudy's tenure. Rudy said he had no idea why they didn't, couldn't or wouldn't and JVG made no further inroads screaming at them from the sideline.

Regarding JVG's known prefernce for veterans and whether or not he knows when to pull back - well I haven't seen it.

The '04-'05 Mav's series is a huge case in point. All of our starters played heavy minutes the last 8 games of the season when Sura was known to be hurt and Wesley has been rumored to have been.

All that was a futile attempt to overtake the Mav's and when T-Mac was held out for the final game JVG just said "he's too hurt to play". Yeah, right.

Many here didn't approve of that final kick to end the season. History has shown us that playin Wesley for nearly 40 mins. a game was a mistake, that Sura was literally on his last leg and Barry had one great game left after JVG had been dogging both he and Wesley all last camp/preseason in the media.

Does JVG know when to pull back? Regardless of age, no matter how critical Yao and T-Mac are to the next 5 years of the franchise?

I don't know, but this year will be the most challenging season of JVG's career. We're the 3rd best team in our division even if we win 55 games and this patchwork of a roster doesn't even begin to ask whether or not we can play "small-ball" effectively with Yao on the court.

I know JVG realizes he has to change a great deal this year in order to keep his job and status. Putting Bonzi in this stew will probably make JVG retire again, but that would really (almost impossibly) make him the most unpredictable coach in the NBA.

Sounds like fun.

 

they've got 23 mill of cap space but only need to spend 9 mill to satisfy the league minimum team salary. they don't have to sign a free agent to do this, they can choose to give their contracted players a rise instead.

 

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/...21sep21,0,3224304.story?coll=sfla-sports-heat

Wells' agent talking to Heat

By Ira Winderman
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Posted September 21 2006


Merle Scott, the Miami-based agent for Bonzi Wells, said Wednesday he has spoken to the Heat regarding the free-agent guard.

Wells, who turned down a five-year, $36 million offer to return to the Kings earlier this offseason only to have it pulled off the table, recently switched agents and began exploring his remaining limited options.

"We've spoken to the Heat, yes," Scott said. "And we will talk again."

Wells, who turned 30 Wednesday, averaged 13.6 points last season for Sacramento and then upped that average to 23.2 in the postseason. But after Wells, who earned $8 million last season, took a hard line in his negotiations, the Kings instead turned to 76ers free agent John Salmons, the former University of Miami guard.

Wells worked out earlier this week for the Rockets and also has drawn interest from the Bobcats and Nuggets, most likely to accept a one-year deal wherever he lands.

The Heat has its $5.2 million mid-level and $1.8 million lower-level salary cap exceptions still available, but coach Pat Riley has said he does not plan to exceed the $65 million payroll threshold that triggers the NBA's dollar-for-dollar luxury tax. The Heat is currently on the cusp of the tax, with 13 players under guaranteed contract.

The Kings, with tax concerns of their own, do not appear amenable to a sign-and-trade deal for Wells, the type of move where the Heat could lop off the contract of backup center Michael Doleac or others.

While Wells could bolster the Heat's depth, Riley's team already has a variety of options at the swing positions behind Antoine Walker and Dwyane Wade, including James Posey, Dorell Wright, Jason Kapono and, possibly, Shandon Anderson.

Wells previously was a teammate of Posey and Heat point guard Jason Williams in Memphis, where he fell out of favor with coach Mike Fratello.

"This is not going to be a one-horse race," Scott said when asked which team stands as the front-runner. "We're at the mercy right now of when things happen."

Training camp opens Oct. 3.

Ira Winderman can be reached at iwinderman@ sun-sentinel.com.

 

Dammit, I wish Bonzi would just sign with the Rockets already!

All things considered, it has to be his best option.

 

All of this is scaring me. It went from I'd love to play in Houston alongside 111, I could see myself making a home here, I hope to know in 48 hrs. etc.

To

We talked to the heat and we're gonna talk to them again, this isn't a one horse race, there are many teams that want our services, etc.

 

Don't be scared little rookie your Old Man gonna kill the big bad boogeyman.

 

In (H-)town Bonzi said all the 'right things'. Now his agent is speaking in the 'old Bonzi knucklehead tongue'.

 

Well, it is getting more interesting. Bonzi Wells is visiting Charlotte Bobocats. He may even say that he could sign with Bobcats within 48 hours.

Free-agent Wells to meet with Bobcats

Free-agent swingman Bonzi Wells will visit the Charlotte Bobcats today, to meet the coaching staff and discuss the possibility of signing here, coach-general manager Bernie Bickerstaff confirmed Wednesday.

Link=
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/15569438.htm

 

I mentioned a day or two ago that Sports610 reported that he still planned on visiting with Charlotte and Miami so this is not new information. Now if he should go visit ANOTHER team at this point, that would be surprising. He is simply doing his due dilligence. If I were in his position, I'd be doing the same thing.

What this tells me is that the Rockets CANNOT pull off the S/T with Sactown ...or at least it is uncertain.

 

Bobs have the most $. Heat has their full MLE (albeit with no lux tax room). Sac SnT, if possible, 3rd most of the 4, 'on paper').

Hornets gave Indy the TE = Harrington. Why wouldn't Sac want one for their 'back pocket'? Riles has been reported as wanting to allow the same guys to defend their title, so would Shandon get jilted? Or Posey traded/dumped? Nugs have been most (publicly) aggressive in their pursuit.

Training camp is, what, 12 days ahead? Time is running out everywhere for final disposition of this issue.

 

"We're at the mercy right now of when things happen."

Umm, what does that mean? Aren't we all?!? lol!

 

He won't sign here, he is looking for more money.

IMHO, the only way the Rockets get him is with the TE....other than that...the guy is going to take the money, and you can't blame him one bit.

DD

 

Yep. Sounding more and more like a pipe dream . . .

 

That may not be true regarding a nixed SnT or TE trade. As you said, he has to do his due dilligence first. Perhaps they are working out something now behind closed doors in case Bonzi choses us...

Knowing that we were first on his list of cities to visit may or may not be a good thing now, I mean, it feels like he may of just gotten us "out of the way..." Or, geographically, Houston was just closer to Cali, who knows...

BTW, I didn't think the MLE or LLE (as they are called "exceptions") counted toward the luxury tax threshold as in the case where Miami now has both yet to use this offseason. Can someone clarify without flaming, thanks!

 

They do count toward the tax. They are called exceptions because they allow a team to sign someone despite being over the salary cap. If your payroll is 60 million, you're over the cap and can't sign anyone unless you have an "exception" at 5mil mid-level or 2mil lower level. Only minimum contracts do not count against the tax.

FLAME: GOD! WHY ARE YOU SO STUPID?!?!!?? GO BACK TO YOUR MOM YOU TWELVE YEAR OLD NOOB!!!

 

Here's the thing. JVG, even going back to his Knick days has been very stubborn and tunnel visioned on his way or the highway. We finally saw that start to change at the beginning of the 2004 season when we got out of the blocks slow and he sat down with McGrady privately and they talked their way through everything and he agreed to open up the offense to TMac. There is no way that JVG lets McGrady fire up 25 footers with 20 seconds left in the shot clock until they came to an agreement. From that moment on, he let McGrady have his head offensively and let him take all the heat checks he wanted to take. And that team built a great offensive chemistry. He didn't have to push hard then. He had to lay off and let them find their game offensively. He finally yielded and trusted a superstar player. I don't think he had ever done that before. He made the adjustment.


i sort of disagree. from what i remember tmac was unclea what he was suppose to do and jvg reinforced to him that he still needs to score. I mentioned this the other day, but i remember a jon barry interview where he talked about the misconception that JVG was strict on offense. JB said that defensively, he was very strict, but offensively he gives you a lot of freedom.

 

Barry wasn't even on the team at that time. He wasn't here until at the trade deadline of 04-05 season. JVG has a long history going all the way back to NY of being strict on those Knick teams. He was constantly wanting them to get the ball in to Ewing, even though it was obvious that Ewing was stove up and finished. The year that Ewing got hurt and they couldn't dump it in to them is when they really took off. Barry came along after JVG made adjustments to the offense.

 

Thanks for the flame! *crispy*

OK, If that's true, there's no way the Heat sign Bonzi then! A SnT is not happening and if its dollar for dollar, why would they pay TWICE the MLE (full MLE + tax = around $11 M) for a 30-year-old to come off the bench?!? Especially after not wanting to mess up the chemistry of a Championship team. Yes, I know we did it in the mid 90s, but I'm not thinking Riley came back to coach this year with aspirations of "experimenting."

Anyone here agree?

 

i agree that he is just doing his due diligence, mj did the same thing and only screwed the deal because he added the trade kicker....i see this as pretty much the same scenario. except the result im hoping is different

after he visits all the teams he wants to, then i think he will end up coming here to finalize the deal or snt with the kings.
this is all part of the game!