Petrie: Wells Return No Longer Practical

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">There have been talks within the Kings' organization about free-agent swingman Bonzi Wells' renewed interest in rejoining the team, according to the Sacramento Bee.

Wells, who dazzled during last season's first-round playoff loss to the San Antonio Spurs , has been unable to find the lucrative deal he sought this summer and has made it known to the Kings that he would like to return.

But as far as Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie is concerned, his team has moved on.

"There's nothing to that beyond the fact that Bonzi still has legitimate interests about wanting to play for us," Petrie said while interrupting a brief vacation. "The dynamics we've talked about before are still there.

"The tax issue still is there, and we've assembled a roster. We've basically moved on. We've made commitments. There's nothing that's changed, nothing that involves us."

Earlier in the summer Wells rejected a five year contract which would have paid him $8 million annually</div>
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Bonzi killed himself earlier in the offseason by not taking that $40mil contract. That was as good as he's going to get. I think he's going to have to take a one year tender from someone, and it's going to be a lot less than what he was going to get from the Kings.

 

Petrie is stupid if he doesn't try to work something out with him still. Bonzi brings a lot of depth to his position, as well as defensive intensity and leadership...something the Kings need now more than ever.

 

Really Bonzi is the one that's stupid, but they should try and work a small one year contract with him, he's kinda dug himself into a hole.

 

Despite the fact taht I don't think they'll be resigning him because of his own stupidity, I still they could really use him. He was huge for them in the playoffs last year, and if he's around, he gives them a swingman who's already developed and in the prime of his career and a player that they know can come in and produce. If they have to go to Fracisco Garcia, Quincy Douby, Kevin Martin, or any of those young guys, they won't be quite sure. While Martin was solid last year and Garcia showed some signs, neither of them have been starters in the NBA yet. It's very difficult to adjust from being a bench player to being a starter (note that it took Ben Gordon halfway through his 2nd year to become a good starter). The mindset is completely different and the way you pace yourself is completely different as well. Beyond that, you're more pressured to produce all throughout the game, instead of just in spurts. So, I think both Bonzi and the Kings organization are getting hurt in this situation. The Kings could use him, that way they don't have to push one of their young guys in the lineup, and if Bonzi gets signed, he at least has a team to play on next season, even if he's not cashing in the way he'd hoped.

 

Bonzi's rebounding in the playoffs was ridiculous. I haven't seen a SG put up numbers like those.

 

I wouldn't doubt that either. It wouldn't surprise me if he went somewhere like San Antonio or the Clippers for a cheap rental year, just to win a title. Not to mention, he could probably come in and play some significant minutes on both those teams, maybe even start out in San Antonio....assuming they're willing to put Bowen on the bench or move Ginobli back to the bench.

 

I'm hoping the Heat will pick him up, that would be sweet!