I think if Bonzi and the Rockets have a good year then the Rockets could still be considered the front runner for Bonzi again next year because I think it is going to be very difficult for him to get more than the full MLE. Here are some of the possible 2007 free agents: Vince Carter Rashard Lewis Mo Peterson Mike Bibby Antwan Jamison Gerald Wallace Dirk Nowitzki Paul Peirce Josh Howard Kirk Hinrich Boris Diaw Kendrick Perkins TJ Ford Thats a lot of players that are potential free agents that will demand a lot of money. Plus Bonzi will be 31 next year and I think that a full MLE may be all he can get. I'm not sure what the rules state but I think Houston will be able to give him a bigger percentage raise next year than other than any other team since Houston will be his current team. Maybe Gator or someone else can confirm or disbute that.
No he hasn't yet. I live in Dallas and that is one of the things that they have been talking about here. Of course I think he will be restricted but I'm not sure.
Regardless of the level that Bonzi plays at, it'll be a good signing. Even if he averages "only" 12/7 it'll be a great signing. Our team was already looking pretty good.
Your right but I was just trying to point out that there are a lot of quality free agents that will be available next summer besides Bonzi and not everyont will have more than the MLE to spend.
Jamison shouldn't be on that list either. There is no way he gives up that salary to go free agent. And I doubt Rashard opts out. He is just going to use the threat of an opt out to generate a trade to a team he wants to play for.
hmmm , have to disagree. if he only plays average it wont be a great signing for the reason that he would of taken minutes away from someone who not only might of played better, but could of used the PT to develop for the future. what you say about us having a good team before him is clearly correct! He could potentially be stealing shine from a guy like Snyder or even Head. If this turns out to be the case, a year from now we're alot worse off as a team. Wells will be outta here after this year no matter what in my book, so he better pump his value sky high and come to play every game. That way everyone wins.
I agree with the thought that Wells will be out of here after this season. In light of this possibility, why not sign Bonzi and then trade him in a package for Rashard Lewis? What do you guys think?
brilliant! Seattle would definitely go for it. Of course we would have to add Bowen and Howard to sweeten the pot.
i think theyd go for it if lewis is sidelined for more than 20 games, he has a history of being injured. i say trade bonzi for ak47, impossible, but one can dream
let's remember this: the rockets traded swift, but the reason his signing with us was so amazing was because he signed for so little. (don't get me wrong, i think swift sucks, but his talent is enough for another gm to take the risk on him) by signing for so small, the rockets were in a win-win: either he plays great or his contract is easily movable. bonzi may very well have a similar, short stop here in houston. we still have the trade exception... and if he clashes with jvg, then his talent far outweighs his contract and that means every gm in the league would want him to help their squad. the rockets' win-win is this: if he plays great, we could be awesome! and we got him for very cheap! and then we can resign him to whatever we want! but if he doesn't, they can trade him in a heartbeat! other gms who play a fast paced style would love to have this guy. i personally see him staying in houston. i think he'll be good for us and i think we'll re-sign him. but you never know
when the offseason began this was a guy van gundy stated he would be interested in and the same name that mcgrady said the rockets would try to target. i think initially the rockets thought he'd be out of our price range and didn't go after him hard even after the mike james debacle. fortunately it worked out even better and we were able to get killbill over, sign JL3, AND get bonzi all with the mle. it's way too early to talk about whether he'll play with us after this season, but, if we are playing that game... if he works out, i definitely see the rockets giving him the entire mle, something they probably would have done this season, and bonzi probably will take that. either way, what a phenomenal score for atleast this season.
all true points. i don't see any reason why he and JVG wouldn't get along. JVG wanted this guy from the start. i don't see bonzi "playing for a contract" this season. i think he knows that next summer's fa list is amazing. there will be no offers for him above MLE level, and i tihnk the rockets might have already told him they'd like to offer the MLE next summer to him, something the bobcats and heat might not have been willing to do.
I suppose you're right. I just don't know how I feel about such temporary possilbilities. I very much prefer the long-term, but I guess one has to crawl before they can run. I hope that Bonzi works out and the Rockets have a great season, one worth keeping him around longer and thus, extending his stay in Houston.
there is nothing to worry about in this situation. we got him for so cheap that if it doens't work out every other team in the league would want him at this price. long term contracts are more of a commitment and much harder to get out of. for example. when juwon was a FA that averaged 17-7 the year before, he was asking for more than MLE money. he took a contract that offered less money but a hell of a lot more years. now he is still impossible to move.
