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

I just keep praying it will happen....

I really think that Bonzi could do a lot more for us, than the general consensus of the board believes.

Bonzi starting at the 2 with his rebounding, size and defense. Will make it easier for Battier and Tmac.

Battier is helped on the boards and just more size and strength advantage overall to balance that out

and

Bonzi gives so much more flexibility as to T macs match up (assuming we want to give him an easy one sometimes.

If management does this, I will be psyched.

 

Use the bugmenot firefox extension for stuff like this

Kings Notes: Hopefuls might get caught in numbers game
Guaranteed money will come into play when the Kings choose their final roster for the season.
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer

There is much to be learned from the cash that's handed out come training camp time.

A team's confidence in a player can be gauged by the size of his deal, considering owners want a payoff if they decided to pay up.

That being said, let the number crunching begin for the Kings' session that will begin Oct. 3 as we pontificate about who might or might not make the squad.

Technically, Loren Woods -- the 7-foot-2 center and five-year veteran who signed with the Kings on Aug. 15 -- is among those whose contract is yet to be guaranteed. But although the entirety of his $950,000, one-year deal isn't guaranteed until training camp ends, $300,000 of that amount is guaranteed and Woods also was given a $100,000 separate advance.

Translation: He'll have to be a bust not to stick, considering his would be a $400,000 cut if the Kings let him go.

Sticking with the big men, promising rookie forward Louis Amundson (6-9, UNLV) was guaranteed $75,000, the most of the rookie invitees. But his league minimum salary of $412,000 won't be guaranteed until Jan. 10, keeping him motivated long into the season if he survives.

No one impressed in the Vegas Summer League like Amundson, who had team co-owner Gavin Maloof predicting that he'd not only make the team but be a significant factor this season. Should he be right, the Kings can keep Amundson around, as they have a team option on his second season.

Justin Williams, though, will be the one vying for an upset selection. Williams, a 6-10 rookie forward from Wyoming who averaged 5.4 blocks in 30 games last season, was guaranteed $10,000. He is a fierce swatter (see 11 blocks vs. BYU and 12 blocks vs. Utah) whose league minimum salary would come in spurts -- half of it is guaranteed on Nov. 15, the rest coming on Jan. 10. With a superb camp, Williams could force the Kings into a tough decision.

The long shot in the group is Pooh Jeter, a 5-11 point guard from the University of Portland who deserves kudos for still being in the purple picture. In the summer league, Jeter became the Eric Musselman martyr, learning a tough lesson about the new coach that his teammates won't soon forget. During one practice, numerous players weren't setting screens as Musselman instructed, but it wasn't until Jeter became the latest to botch up the drill that the coach laid into him.

"He used him as an example, yelled at him real bad," Amundson said. "But after the play was over, he came over to him and made sure there were no hard feelings. He made his point that it's going to be much different than it has been in years past. Guys are excited for it."

Still, Jeter -- who was given $7,500 and whose salary would be guaranteed on Jan. 10 if he miraculously made it -- seemingly has little hope with Jason Hart and Ronnie Price on board. Both point guards have this year's salary guaranteed, as Hart will make $1.68 million, and Price will make $664,000.

Money doesn't always dictate roster spots, though. Two years ago, the Kings waived second-round draft pick Ricky Minard and free-agent signee David Bluthenthal before the season, moves that cost nearly $400,000 in guaranteed money.

Wells to Denver? -- According to the Denver Post, the Nuggets continue to show interest in former Kings shooting guard Bonzi Wells.

The Nuggets' interest began in February, when they contacted the Kings about a trade involving Wells. Denver's current shooting guards are 21-year-old J.R. Smith and rookie Yakhouba Diawara, and the Nuggets could use the veteran presence of Wells, who turns 30 Wednesday.

But the Nuggets, like the Kings, are near the luxury tax threshold of $65.42 million with their payroll, meaning there is little -- if any -- room for the Nuggets to sign Wells outright since Denver ownership has made it clear it would prefer to be a non-tax-paying team. The Kings' own proximity to the luxury tax means a sign-and-trade deal between them and the Nuggets also is highly unlikely. Houston and Miami also are said to be pursuing the free agent.

Coming west -- Ron Artest had a busy few weeks, from serving his brawl-related community service in Detroit to hitting the blacktops for numerous tournaments and events in New York City to promoting his rap album that will be released in late October.

He'll be in Sacramento soon, though, and is conducting the Ron Artest Tru Warier basketball Clinic on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 at Capital Christian High School for boys and girls ages 5 through 17. For more information, go to www.kings.com.

 

thanks. bugmenot worked like a charm.

 

If the Rockets could somehow get Bonzi for their 4.2M TPE (allowing Sac to not take on extra salary) then that would a great trade for the Rockets.

Bonzi would fill the role of a 3rd scorer and bring a lot of scrapy play to the team.

 

I think you are on to something here. Probably have to throw in a 2nd round draft pick, or Luther Head?, to make it worth Sac's effort.

 

How about 2 different deals?

Bonzi for the 4.2 TE...
Hart for Head and a second rounder...(we might not need to throw in the second rounder)

They get a second rounder, Head and the 4.2 TE for Bonzi, rather than have him walk out. And we still have the 2.1 MLE to sign a decent 4/5.

 

If Bonzi is an unrestricted FA, what is the Kings motivation to do a S/T particularly to a Western Conference team? Furthermore, the Rockets would want to use the 4.2 TE which means that the Kings get nothing in return except maybe cash. Why would they do that?

 

I don't think they would. I think our MLE is the only option here.

 

The 4.2 mil TE and next years 1st for Bonzi. I have no trouble with that deal.

I would much rather keep Head than get Hart (awefull shooting year last year), and Head is probably more valuable to us than to Sac.

 

Why would Sac do that deal?

If TMac and Yao are healthy, we could easily win 50+ games. Add a motivated Bonzi to that, on paper, this is a tough team. So it would be a really crappy draft pick.

I just don't understand why the Kings woud do a S/T involving an unrestricted FA.

 

Why NOT do a sign and trade of an unrestriced free agent? Your choices are to receive nothing if he walks via free agency or receive something in a sign and trade.

 

Receive what?

They would significantly help out one of their rivals in exchange for some cash and a crappy lottery pick?

All the while, help Bonzi secure a better contract after he left them high/dry?

I just don't see how this is a legit possibility unless the Kings get something better than that ...but what would that be?

 

Odds are generally 50-50 that an unrestricted free agent will end up on one of your conference rivals anyway so a team might as well get something useful for it. If a team's choice is to let a player walk with no compensation to a rival or to get something from that rival, they would be foolish to not get something.

 

Well, let's hope it wouldn't be a crappy lottery pick.

But we have a TE (up to 4.3 mil), which allows them to not have to add salary.

If you are Sac, do you want Bonzi going to Denver or another team and get nothing, or get a free draft pick--say probably around 25 under the assumption Yao and Tmac stay healthy? Further, we are not really a rival, we don't play in their division and can't remember a time we faced them in the playoffs.

Besides, you take care of your team (getting the best deal you can) before going to the trouble not the hurt your rivals. Just look how Houston and Memphis traded because both teams thought they would make themselves better, and they are in the same division.

Now if someone offers a better deal than a 1st round pick and no salary added to take on Bonzi, Sac would certainly do that, but I don't know the offers, and the under the cap teams don't have an interest.

I was wrong in another thread, the last two years of the three year contract can be options.

This is the key. The Rockets have the 4.3 exemption. The Rockets are in a unique position to do this deal.

We need Wells and his agent to go to Sac and say he is going to the Rockets. He will take the 2.1 left in the MLE for a 2-3 year deal with player options after year 1 if Sac doesn't cooperate, or if Sac goes to the trouble to facillitate the deal (Rockets use the 4.3 TE so Sac takes on no salary) they get a 1st round pick. This is a win-win all the way. Would could consider Head, VSpan or Snyder for Hart in the deal as an alternative to giving up the #1 pick.

This really should get done, the Rockets could be legit title contenders this year with this deal.

 

How about forget that and just offer him the $2.1 deal? Denver doesn't want to add payroll, and he's got a better chance to win here. I say we get him on our terms. And then we've still got our first rounder, Head, and the TE to make other deals with to acquire one more 4/5 that can defend and shoot.

 

After reading the above article about a SnT between Den/Sac not going down due to salary camp ramifications, I agree that our TE now puts us as the frontrunnner to land Bonzi!

I highly doubt that he bites on the partial MLE, but the full TE with player options would be PERFECT for both sides IMO due to Sacremento's unwillingness to take on additional salary. If we lose some draft picks or give up Head for Hart in the process, consider that "breaking a few eggs..."

 

Cash and/or a crappy draft pick IS NOTHING. It isn't even worth paying their lawyers to draft up the papers particularly for a guy that left them high and dry.

Sorry, I just don't see why the Kings would do a deal with us on the S/T.

Wishful think, yes. Realistically, very very small.

 

The source said that Sac did not want to do the trade for Wells, Rox should have a better position to get Wells by using 4.2 M and others. Just try to do it, CD. Do something good betore you leave.

 

-Uhm, Atlanta accepted a probable late 1st round pick and shedding a little salary (forced John Edwards to be included) for facillitating the S&T of Al Harrington to Indy with their TE.

-We traded Swift and Gay for Battier with a division rival because in the end both teams felt it made their team better.

-Sac doesn't have Bonzi in their plans for salary reasons and because they brought in Salmons.

Krosfyah, I can't see what you think you see, but IF we want Bonzi Wells we do hold the most cards that I can see and are the only viable team it looks like the Kings can salvage something out of Bonzi.

I think we should land him, but JVG may not want him, and I htink that would be a mistake to pass him over.

 

I agree but didn't respond prior because I just don't see Wells coming to Houston. His $Ball number just isn't high enough. But here's an interesting twist.

I'm at work and don't have time to look. But IMO if the Kings did not renounce Wells, they can do a 1 year deal where Wells' Bird Rights get transferred from SAC to Houston. That means that next summer, the Rockets would have Wells' Full Bird Rights and can offer him anything they want up to max $.

If I am correct (and I think I am), WHO is holding the option becomes extremely critical. IMHO, Wells will not sign and trade with a team option contract for the out years because it'll cost him lots of money. (That would be true with or without Bird Rights).

But I wouldn't think the Kings would help us for anything less than a 1st Rounder.