Sacramento, Indiana Closing in on Deal?
- Thread starter Mike0476
- Start date
I refuse to believe that this deal is done. GP is not dumb enough to trade Bonzi for so little when it's obvious that we can keep him since no one else can give him a decent offer right now. No way he cuts and runs to Indy for the MLE- no one ever does. More, we still need him right now. As good as Martin can be, he's still growing into a big-time role. He showed off a lot of talent last year, but he also had a lot of second-year player games- going from 20/5 to 10/2 on different nights. We need that proven starter in Bonzi, not to mention all the things he brings better than Martin ever will a la San Antonio series. Plus, Bonzi can be traded down the line, and probably for something better than what Indy is supposedly offering right now. Depth is good. Bonzi+Kmart=depth, not stunted growth. Petrie knows all of this. Bonzi is only going if we get something good in return.
[Updated: 7:50 p.m. Tuesday] LAS VEGAS - Maybe Bonzi Wells is going home again, Indiana-bound as an Internet basketball site suggested Tuesday. Or perhaps he'll continue to call Sacramento home away from home.
Either way, it appears the future of the free-agent shooting guard may be close to unfolding. Wednesday is the first day NBA free agents can sign contracts, and it appears Wells and his agent, William Phillips, remain in discussion with a fair number of teams beyond the Kings.
What's more, Tuesday's release of the coming season's salary cap ($53.15 million), luxury tax threshold ($65.42 million) and mid-level exception ($5.215 million) will make negotiations easier. The Kings, who are over the cap, worked hard to get under the luxury tax last season, finally doing so with the trade that sent Brian Skinner to Portland and brought Vitaly Potapenko and Sergei Monia to Sacramento. Teams that are over the tax have to pay an extra dollar for each dollar they spend over the tax, a costly price teams would rather avoid. The mid-level exception is available only to teams over the cap. Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie said the official numbers could clarify some discussions.
"The numbers give you some finality so that you know for sure what you're dealing with," said Petrie, who returned to Sacramento from Las Vegas and the NBA's summer-league games. "Right now, everybody's working off projections. And they're probably reasonably close, but sometimes there are surprises."
Petrie was surprised to hear of a report from draftexpress.com, an online basketball Web site, which said the Kings and Indiana Pacers are discussing a sign-and-trade that would send Wells to his home state and bring center Jeff Foster and point guard Sarunas Jasikevicius to Sacramento. "This is one of those things where some guy out there has been infected with his own version of 'The Bonfire of the Vanities,' " said Petrie, referring to the novel. "Nobody at draftexpress knows (about the negotiations)." Asked if that was an unequivocal denial, Petrie said, "I didn't say that." According to the Indianapolis Star, Pacers team officials said there was no truth to the report.
Reached late Monday night, Phillips told The Bee that a sign-and-trade was a definite part of the slow-moving discussions, and that one team had "come up the board" among the six teams he has been negotiating with.
Reportedly, the Kings' contract offer was for five years and $36 million, which would be a pay cut from the $8 million Wells received last season. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Dallas Mavericks are among those interested, joining Detroit, Denver and Indiana - all teams that can offer more than the mid-level exception only through a sign-and-trade. Phillips would not comment Tuesday. But because many teams are limited to offering the mid-level exception, a sign-and-trade would be a way for Wells to find the money he's seeking.
Theoretically, making the deal involving Foster, a 6-foot-11 center/forward who will make $5.2 million this season, and Jasikevicius, a 6-4 guard who will make $4 million, certainly would give Wells the money he desires while giving the Kings the depth down low they need, not to mention a promising point guard.
Per terms of the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, the salaries of the players in sign-and-trade deals must be within 25 percent of each other, meaning Wells' salary could range from $6.9 million to $11.5 million.
"That's part of (the discussions)," Phillips said Monday night regarding sign-and-trades. "Straight signings are part of it. We're talking with Sacramento. We're talking with other teams, some teams that are over the (salary) cap and some who are under. ... One team has come up the board. I'll know a lot more in the next 24 to 48 hours."
Phillips told the Associated Press last week that Wells, a native of Muncie, Ind., who played at Ball State, would enjoy going back.
"Anytime you have an opportunity to come home, it's a great opportunity," Phillips said last week. "Initially, I mentioned the Pacers to Bonzi, and based off his reaction, I c
Either way, it appears the future of the free-agent shooting guard may be close to unfolding. Wednesday is the first day NBA free agents can sign contracts, and it appears Wells and his agent, William Phillips, remain in discussion with a fair number of teams beyond the Kings.
What's more, Tuesday's release of the coming season's salary cap ($53.15 million), luxury tax threshold ($65.42 million) and mid-level exception ($5.215 million) will make negotiations easier. The Kings, who are over the cap, worked hard to get under the luxury tax last season, finally doing so with the trade that sent Brian Skinner to Portland and brought Vitaly Potapenko and Sergei Monia to Sacramento. Teams that are over the tax have to pay an extra dollar for each dollar they spend over the tax, a costly price teams would rather avoid. The mid-level exception is available only to teams over the cap. Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie said the official numbers could clarify some discussions.
"The numbers give you some finality so that you know for sure what you're dealing with," said Petrie, who returned to Sacramento from Las Vegas and the NBA's summer-league games. "Right now, everybody's working off projections. And they're probably reasonably close, but sometimes there are surprises."
Petrie was surprised to hear of a report from draftexpress.com, an online basketball Web site, which said the Kings and Indiana Pacers are discussing a sign-and-trade that would send Wells to his home state and bring center Jeff Foster and point guard Sarunas Jasikevicius to Sacramento. "This is one of those things where some guy out there has been infected with his own version of 'The Bonfire of the Vanities,' " said Petrie, referring to the novel. "Nobody at draftexpress knows (about the negotiations)." Asked if that was an unequivocal denial, Petrie said, "I didn't say that." According to the Indianapolis Star, Pacers team officials said there was no truth to the report.
Reached late Monday night, Phillips told The Bee that a sign-and-trade was a definite part of the slow-moving discussions, and that one team had "come up the board" among the six teams he has been negotiating with.
Reportedly, the Kings' contract offer was for five years and $36 million, which would be a pay cut from the $8 million Wells received last season. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Dallas Mavericks are among those interested, joining Detroit, Denver and Indiana - all teams that can offer more than the mid-level exception only through a sign-and-trade. Phillips would not comment Tuesday. But because many teams are limited to offering the mid-level exception, a sign-and-trade would be a way for Wells to find the money he's seeking.
Theoretically, making the deal involving Foster, a 6-foot-11 center/forward who will make $5.2 million this season, and Jasikevicius, a 6-4 guard who will make $4 million, certainly would give Wells the money he desires while giving the Kings the depth down low they need, not to mention a promising point guard.
Per terms of the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, the salaries of the players in sign-and-trade deals must be within 25 percent of each other, meaning Wells' salary could range from $6.9 million to $11.5 million.
"That's part of (the discussions)," Phillips said Monday night regarding sign-and-trades. "Straight signings are part of it. We're talking with Sacramento. We're talking with other teams, some teams that are over the (salary) cap and some who are under. ... One team has come up the board. I'll know a lot more in the next 24 to 48 hours."
Phillips told the Associated Press last week that Wells, a native of Muncie, Ind., who played at Ball State, would enjoy going back.
"Anytime you have an opportunity to come home, it's a great opportunity," Phillips said last week. "Initially, I mentioned the Pacers to Bonzi, and based off his reaction, I c
Say what you want but Sarunas Jasikevicius IS the best PG in the world outside the NBA. He is 28 or 29 but does everything you want in a PG: see the floor, pass first, make other team members better and run the offense. His D is terrible, but so was JWills and so is Bibby and neither of them are nearly the PG Sarunas is.
So if he comes off the bench and so does Amundson and maybe Williams they can protect the back door for a weak PG. If we don't have Bonzi then Kevin is starting and Cisco or Douby is off the bench at the 2 guard and both are ok defenders. So I like it...
So if he comes off the bench and so does Amundson and maybe Williams they can protect the back door for a weak PG. If we don't have Bonzi then Kevin is starting and Cisco or Douby is off the bench at the 2 guard and both are ok defenders. So I like it...
Bricklayer,
Actually, I think that's as strong of a denial as Petrie tends to give. He tries not to tip his hand too much. He doesn't want to get into a situation like:
"Are you trading Bonzi to Indiana?"
No
"Denver?"
No
"Detroit?"
No
"Houston?"
No comment.
Makes things a little too obvious.
Not saying Bonzi won't be traded tomorrow, but might not be for those particular two.
Actually, I think that's as strong of a denial as Petrie tends to give. He tries not to tip his hand too much. He doesn't want to get into a situation like:
"Are you trading Bonzi to Indiana?"
No
"Denver?"
No
"Detroit?"
No
"Houston?"
No comment.
Makes things a little too obvious.
Not saying Bonzi won't be traded tomorrow, but might not be for those particular two.
Ahhh, GP and his literary allusions. All I know is one of the main characters in Tom Wolfe's book is a washed-up, tabloid hack. 
GP's responses sounded typical to me. He didn't confirm and he didn't deny any part of the rumor. So we are left to wonder if some, all or none of the rumor is true. Classic Petrie. And no one can later say he lied about anything, because he didn't say anything.
GP's responses sounded typical to me. He didn't confirm and he didn't deny any part of the rumor. So we are left to wonder if some, all or none of the rumor is true. Classic Petrie. And no one can later say he lied about anything, because he didn't say anything.
The fact that GP and Bird denied that there is a trade in the works makes me nervous. When ever these 2 deny something, most of the time it happens so I am not liking this one bit.
I am aware that in a sign and trade we just won't get the value of Wells BUT if we are to go down that sign and trade path then we must dump a bad contract or 2 in the process otherwise there should be no deal. If we got Foster, Sarunas for Wells and dumped KT contract, I would be OKish about it BUT it still wouldn't be my preferred option.
I am aware that in a sign and trade we just won't get the value of Wells BUT if we are to go down that sign and trade path then we must dump a bad contract or 2 in the process otherwise there should be no deal. If we got Foster, Sarunas for Wells and dumped KT contract, I would be OKish about it BUT it still wouldn't be my preferred option.
The littary allusion to Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities is indeed a serious slam to the "reporter" at draftexpress and the yahoos who mindelesly parroted the story. The washed up writer in BV not only rejuvinates his career by inventing a story but develops a cult like following amond his peers beceause of it.
This is just kind of a throwaway line in a recent Rocky Mountain News article, but...
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nba/article/0,2777,DRMN_23922_4838144,00.html
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nba/article/0,2777,DRMN_23922_4838144,00.html