http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/122627.html
Bonzi relives costly decision
On the eve of facing the Kings in Houston, he can't escape his free-agent flub.
By Scott Howard-Cooper - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 6:26 am PST Tuesday, February 13, 2007
HOUSTON -- This again?
Yep. This again.
Bonzi Wells long ago grew tired of questions about his monumentally bad decision last summer to reject a free-agent offer from the Kings, no doubt because it was painful enough to live the first time, but "What Could Have Been" reared again Monday.
His new team, the Houston Rockets, practiced and his old team jetted in from Sacramento for tonight's game at the Toyota Center, so he was back at the unfortunate intersection of his life and another round of questions.
In fairness, the story has been told countless times: The Kings offered five years and $36 million in July, their starting shooting guard said no, the market disappeared, and Wells ended up swallowing hard and taking two years and $4.5 million from the Rockets days before camp opened. The Kings instead signed John Salmons, who has played well, and gave Wells' job to Kevin Martin, who has played very well.
But Wells has not faced Sacramento since, having missed the Jan. 13 game at Arco Arena because of a sore lower back. That makes tonight significant, although hardly an emotional reunion with the perspective that, for all the focus on his summer decision, he had 52 appearances as a King.
"It doesn't matter, man," he said. "It doesn't matter what name is on the other jersey. It's just an opponent. You've got to prepare the same way. I'm friends with everybody. I'm going to see friends tomorrow, then I'm going to see friends when we play Dallas. So, no problem."
The Kings themselves are not a particularly antagonistic topic. Wells is the first to say he has no issue with the organization, understandably. Rarely has a franchise missed so wildly with a contract offer that, it would be proved, was the Kings negotiating against themselves to keep him.
No one else was going to come close to the $36 million. Wells painfully learned that.
"No, I never had a problem with the organization," he said. "It is what it is. Some days you're with a team, and the next day you may not be. So as long as I've got a job, I'm happy."
And does playing the Kings bring up bad memories of a bad decision?
"How many times do I got to tell you all?" Wells shot back to the reporters who circled him after practice. "No, man. It's nothing. Just another game."
If it isn't, the reason is Houston-based. Wells has missed the last three games because of a bruised lower back sustained Feb. 5, making tonight potentially noteworthy if only in trying to get back in the lineup. He said he expects to play.
There have been a series of setbacks that have turned his time as a Rocket from the planned one-year image rehabilitation before opting out and becoming a free agent again this summer to something closer to calamitous. He reported to camp in poor shape, stayed plump and on the wrong side of coach Jeff Van Gundy and spent 18 games on the inactive list the first five weeks without a reported injury.
Two stints with back problems followed, giving him just 19 appearances and zero starts for a 32-18 team. Wells is averaging 7.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 20.5 minutes while shooting 41.8 percent.
About the writer: The Bee's Scott Howard-Cooper can be reached at showard-cooper@sacbee.com.
Bonzi relives costly decision
On the eve of facing the Kings in Houston, he can't escape his free-agent flub.
By Scott Howard-Cooper - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 6:26 am PST Tuesday, February 13, 2007
HOUSTON -- This again?
Yep. This again.
Bonzi Wells long ago grew tired of questions about his monumentally bad decision last summer to reject a free-agent offer from the Kings, no doubt because it was painful enough to live the first time, but "What Could Have Been" reared again Monday.
His new team, the Houston Rockets, practiced and his old team jetted in from Sacramento for tonight's game at the Toyota Center, so he was back at the unfortunate intersection of his life and another round of questions.
In fairness, the story has been told countless times: The Kings offered five years and $36 million in July, their starting shooting guard said no, the market disappeared, and Wells ended up swallowing hard and taking two years and $4.5 million from the Rockets days before camp opened. The Kings instead signed John Salmons, who has played well, and gave Wells' job to Kevin Martin, who has played very well.
But Wells has not faced Sacramento since, having missed the Jan. 13 game at Arco Arena because of a sore lower back. That makes tonight significant, although hardly an emotional reunion with the perspective that, for all the focus on his summer decision, he had 52 appearances as a King.
"It doesn't matter, man," he said. "It doesn't matter what name is on the other jersey. It's just an opponent. You've got to prepare the same way. I'm friends with everybody. I'm going to see friends tomorrow, then I'm going to see friends when we play Dallas. So, no problem."
The Kings themselves are not a particularly antagonistic topic. Wells is the first to say he has no issue with the organization, understandably. Rarely has a franchise missed so wildly with a contract offer that, it would be proved, was the Kings negotiating against themselves to keep him.
No one else was going to come close to the $36 million. Wells painfully learned that.
"No, I never had a problem with the organization," he said. "It is what it is. Some days you're with a team, and the next day you may not be. So as long as I've got a job, I'm happy."
And does playing the Kings bring up bad memories of a bad decision?
"How many times do I got to tell you all?" Wells shot back to the reporters who circled him after practice. "No, man. It's nothing. Just another game."
If it isn't, the reason is Houston-based. Wells has missed the last three games because of a bruised lower back sustained Feb. 5, making tonight potentially noteworthy if only in trying to get back in the lineup. He said he expects to play.
There have been a series of setbacks that have turned his time as a Rocket from the planned one-year image rehabilitation before opting out and becoming a free agent again this summer to something closer to calamitous. He reported to camp in poor shape, stayed plump and on the wrong side of coach Jeff Van Gundy and spent 18 games on the inactive list the first five weeks without a reported injury.
Two stints with back problems followed, giving him just 19 appearances and zero starts for a 32-18 team. Wells is averaging 7.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 20.5 minutes while shooting 41.8 percent.
About the writer: The Bee's Scott Howard-Cooper can be reached at showard-cooper@sacbee.com.
. However, I find it annoying that whomever was asking the questions would ask about misgivings towards the Kings and not the agent...I see no reason to do that other than to stir another tempest in a teapot. Scott Howard-Cooper normally does a decent job imo, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that someone else asked the questions. 
