Wells "sick" Kings deal went bad

[KingKong]

Wells sick Kings deal went bad
By Ronald Tillery
October 11, 2006

HOUSTON -- Bonzi Wells has long put the Memphis experiment behind him. Although Wells appeared content in a Houston Rockets uniform, he's admittedly still hurt over not re-signing with the Sacramento Kings.

Missing out on a big payday has flushed away any bad feelings that remain about the Grizzlies. He'll perhaps need a year or so to get over the offseason that blew up in his face.

"To this day, I'm really sick about the Sacramento situation," said Wells, who sat out of Tuesday's preseason game against the Griz with an injured groin. "The coaches were great. The players were great. Everything was great there. I'm sick about it. The agent I had just wasn't ready for the type of negotiations we were in."

Wells and William Phillips, his agent at the time, turned down a five-year, $36 million offer from the Kings. When no other team stepped up with a similar or better offer, Wells fired Phillips and settled for a two-year, $5 million deal with the Rockets.

"My agent did a horrible job of communicating both sides," Wells said.

"My agent was new in the game and he was trying to play hardball. But the Kings weren't people you had to play hardball with. They wanted me to be there.

"The situation got out of hand and before you knew it, they were going in a different direction. After the fact, I talked to the Kings, and we're both sick about it. The Kings went a direction they really didn't want to go, and I went a direction I didn't want to go. But everything happens for a reason."

Wells said he intends to make the most of his opportunity to log significant minutes with Houston. That was the deciding factor in spurning Miami. He'll likely opt out and become a free-agent again next summer.

Meanwhile, Wells enjoyed a friendly Grizzly reunion.

"It still good to see the guys I played with," Wells said. "What happened (in Memphis), happened. It's a situation that I put behind me, especially after how everything went great in Sacramento."

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/basketball/article/0,1426,MCA_466_5057738,00.html

 

[KingKong]

Oops... thx for moving it VF.

 

[VF21]

...Wells, who sat out of Tuesday's preseason game against the Griz with an injured groin...

Remember how Vlade played virtually no games after he left? Remember how Doug played virtually no games after he left? The "injured groin" thing is really troublesome, IMHO.

As far as Bonzi putting all the blame on the agent, that's fine - after the fact. The truth is Bonzi should have been in constant communication with his agent, making sure he didn't overstep his bounds.

I wish Bonzi well but he has to bear some of the blame.

 

[KingKong]

As far as Bonzi putting all the blame on the agent, that's fine - after the fact. The truth is Bonzi should have been in constant communication with his agent, making sure he didn't overstep his bounds.

I wish Bonzi well but he has to bear some of the blame.

Precisely, if Bonzi knew not to "play hardball" with the Kings, then he should've stepped in and accepted the offer. This is just as much on him as it is his agent.

 

[VF21]

I think this is Bonzi trying to save face. I remember an article a short while back where he said he had tons of offers but he chose to go to Houston. I have to believe that reality just jumped up and smacked him in the head and he's finally realizes just how badly he managled this whole situation.

Having said all that, though, I'm wondering if the problematic groin condition entered into Petrie's decisions. As I said, it wouldn't be the first time.

 

[KingKong]

Petrie does seem to have ESP regarding these things, so I wouldn't be surprised

I do hope the injury is not problematic though.

 

[4cwebb]

Meanwhile, Wells enjoyed a friendly Grizzly reunion.

"It still good to see the guys I played with," Wells said. "What happened (in Memphis), happened. It's a situation that I put behind me, especially after how everything went great in Sacramento."

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/basketball/article/0,1426,MCA_466_5057738,00.html

Odd. I could've sworn some on this board (I think) made a couple of statements that former Wells' teammates weren't happy to have him in town. Just off the top of my head, I can't think of another Rocket that was once a Grizzly other than Battier (unless Swift is still around, but I thought that experiment had ended, and badly).

 

[rumpled]

I think he made a mistake and its just a sad thing. To me its nice that he just says he regrets it instead of trying to spin it as the Kings' fault. Unless you think the agent-blaming is BS, but I think its pretty much true.

And yeah, I've also noticed GP has a knack for letting players go right before the wheels come off. And the fans that were mad that all those players left never really give him credit for making a good call.

 

[Sac.Kings]

whatever, it's over with so i don't care.

 

[Mista 808]

Maybe he can opt out of his deal, and we can get rid of a couple for him come the 2007-08 season?

 

[Bricklayer]

Players depend on agents to tell them a) what the other side is saying, b) what the agent is saying himself; and c) what the rest of the league is saying. If the agent says to Bonzi that there are 5 offers out there of $50 million each and that despite his own reasonableness with the Kings Geoff is the one playing hardball...well, that's not really on the player.

In any case, Kings fans as always have a tendency to be pretty snarky toward ex players who had the gall to leave town, but this sounds like sincere regret. Self serving, but sincere. Unfortunate for both sides.

 

[GoGoGadget]

Precisely, if Bonzi knew not to "play hardball" with the Kings, then he should've stepped in and accepted the offer. This is just as much on him as it is his agent.

No. He shouldn't have.

If he felt that his wishes were not being taken seriously enough by his agent, or were not being effectively communicated to the Kings, he should have fired him sooner. But going around or behind the agent that you've hired is a strict no-no, and is usually looked at as a pretty tacky move.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

In any case, Kings fans as always have a tendency to be pretty snarky toward ex players who had the gall to leave town, but this sounds like sincere regret. Self serving, but sincere. Unfortunate for both sides.

I agree. I think this part may have been unneccessary:

The Kings went a direction they really didn't want to go

but understandable nonetheless.

I do think the agent is 90% responsible for what happened but I am quite curious why Bonzi went into his last chance for a big contract with an inexperienced agent for whom Bonzi was his only client.

 

[moradi420]

i though bonzi had said something like, "maybe u heard wrong, but the money was out there, i don't know wher ur getting ur info, but as for the money it was there"

owell, nice to see he loves sacto the players and ricky a.
maybe well sign him in the off season...im dead serious if he doesnt get offered big bucks, and im doubting he gets more than 20 million

 

[KingDog]

Bonzi should have come to KIngsFans.com for some serious council, as should all other players wanting to know exactly what is going on. GEEZ!!

 

[HndsmCelt]

Peopel get professional advisors BECEAUSE they are not competnet to do the job themselves. To expect a palyer to be as up to speed as his agent and therefor responsable for the decison is about the same as blaming a guy with a bad doctor for his infection or a client for the dumb dcision his attorney suggested. That is why malpractice suits exist.

Speaking of which Brick you ought to contact Bonzi and see if he is interested in ground breaking juris prudence... we have reasonable expections, a liscensed professional, and harm...

 

[GoGoGadget]

Speaking of which Brick you ought to contact Bonzi and see if he is interested in ground breaking juris prudence... we have reasonable expections, a liscensed professional, and harm...

If Brick took such a case, and won such a case...

Well, I think I just might have a new favorite sugar da... er... poster.

 

[quick dog]

I think sports agents are overrated and may do more harm than good.

Are there NBA players who represent themselves? It seems to me that a player ought to know basically what he is worth, as well as the important elements of an NBA contract.

Some guys screw up their careers by getting a contract that is "too good". They become a financial problem for teams, and teams try to dump them. Contracts should be simple and fair for both sides.

Perhaps there should be an NBA player-contract-template and simply eliminate the blood-sucking agents, relatives, and hangeroners. The NBA could arrange the contracting process to allow for a few contract iterations to fine tune troublesome contracts.

Pay one independent attorney, appoint a contract review board, limit the contracts to three years, and call it good. I nominate Brickie.

 

[SacTownKid]

I get the feeling more and more everyday that we dodged a bullet in not signing Bonzi. I guess we will see in a matter of hours, weeks, months, and years if that's true.

 

[KingKong]

No. He shouldn't have.

If he felt that his wishes were not being taken seriously enough by his agent, or were not being effectively communicated to the Kings, he should have fired him sooner. But going around or behind the agent that you've hired is a strict no-no, and is usually looked at as a pretty tacky move.

I wasn't suggesting Bonzi "go around his agent's back" in order to get a deal done, that's something that you assumed. What I was trying to say was that the ultimate decision was Wells' and he should've got his agent to accept the offer, or like you say he should have fired him sooner. But my guess is the he was holding out for something better.

Either way, this is a dead horse now.

 

[treewoman]

Well, I loved Bonzi, and I for one will miss him, irregardless of whose fault it is. I thought he was great.