What Would You Rather Have in the Bonzi Situation? (merged)

[SacTownKid]

The Maloofs did say last night that a new arena would help in things such as this. It helps the franchise to be able to lure FA's and to compete salary wise.

I hope a new arena deal gets done.

 

[yanon]

Venom's buy low and sell high strategy might actually work for Bonzi's case. If Bonzi's agent asks for 10 millions per year and for 5 years, then the Kings would be better off trading him because Bonzi hasn't shown he can produce at this level for more than a year. Also, Bonzi is already 30, he is at his peak right now. More than likely, we will be complaining how we overpaid for Bonzi two years from now.

Of course, there is one scenario where I would agree with keeping Bonzi for $10+ millions per year. That scenario is we acquire KG for Miller & Bibby. It is worth the risk for a chance to watch KG, Artest, and Bonzi bring us a title within the next 2-3 years.

 

[SacKings4Life21]

Venom's buy low and sell high strategy might actually work for Bonzi's case. If Bonzi's agent asks for 10 millions per year and for 5 years, then the Kings would be better off trading him because Bonzi hasn't shown he can produce at this level for more than a year. Also, Bonzi is already 30, he is at his peak right now. More than likely, we will be complaining how we overpaid for Bonzi two years from now.

Of course, there is one scenario where I would agree with keeping Bonzi for $10+ millions per year. That scenario is we acquire KG for Miller & Bibby. It is worth the risk for a chance to watch KG, Artest, and Bonzi bring us a title within the next 2-3 years.

amen

 

[BMiller52]

Venom's buy low and sell high strategy might actually work for Bonzi's case. If Bonzi's agent asks for 10 millions per year and for 5 years, then the Kings would be better off trading him because Bonzi hasn't shown he can produce at this level for more than a year. Also, Bonzi is already 30, he is at his peak right now. More than likely, we will be complaining how we overpaid for Bonzi two years from now.

Of course, there is one scenario where I would agree with keeping Bonzi for $10+ millions per year. That scenario is we acquire KG for Miller & Bibby. It is worth the risk for a chance to watch KG, Artest, and Bonzi bring us a title within the next 2-3 years.

If Bibby and Miller suck so bad then why the **** would the wolves do that?

 

[VF21]

Vulcan mind meld...

 

[Superman]

No one remembers how good Bonzi Wells was for the Blazers, huh? Even in the playoffs, two or three years ago against the Mavs, he was the one player they couldn't handle. He is a good, well-rounded offensive player who doesn't need someone else to create for him and doesn't rely on his jumpshot to score (which is what we've been looking for for years now), a decent defensive player, and he plays big in big games.

Now that we've gotten the swingman we've been trying to get (in fact, we have two of them, but Bonzi's the one with less baggage) since 2002, why are we willing to let him go?

And why do we think Kevin Martin is a full-time starter for a playoff team? I was as impressed by his play this season as anyone else, but he's still not consistent enough to be a starter. And he's NOT the type of player that can continually help lead the team to the postseason.

Imagine this:
PG: Bibby, (backup PG with defensive focus)
SG: Wells, Martin
SF: Artest
PF: (starting caliber F with defensive focus), Abdur-Rahim
C: Miller, (backup C with defensive focus)

We start a pretty good squad with a good mix of offense, defense, high-post and low-post players. Then we bring SAR and Martin off the bench, along with some serviceable backup center who can play 15 minutes a game. Backup point guard isn't that big of a priority, since Martin and Artest can handle the ball well enough to spell Mike for stretches. I'd prefer to not have a backup PG, since that will keep us away from the small backcourt that Adelman loves to torture the fans with.

I think that would be a really good squad, and it's definitely doable. I'm not talking about trading away any of our core players because they had a bad series; I'm talking about keeping the players that want to play the type of basketball that will keep us winning games, and surrounding them with players who can fill needs.

 

[Venom]

Bonzi has always been a good player. I don't think anyone is disputing that. However, his production on the court always came with disruption off it until this, his contract, year. Kevin Martin is good enough that the Kings do not "need" to have Bonzi back. Petrie (or the Maloofs) are sitting in the catbird seat on this one, unlike when CWebb and Bibby were free agents. Also, the Kings were chasing a title at the time. They are a much improved team from the original roster, but that has more to do with Artest than Bonzi. I know Bonzi was hurt, but this team was not setting the world on fire.

I just think that Bonzi is a bad contract waiting to happen. The Kings did not invest much in him, and his stock has soared. I think it would be best to move him now for a defensive front-court player. Phoenix fans were upset about the Joe Johnson trade. . .how did that work out? I see a lot of people on here saying they would love to have Bonzi back, but only at his current salary or with a modest raise. This is the NBA. There is a 0% chance that Bonzi's contract demands will be reasonable.

 

[Superman]

I don't want the Kings to break the bank on him. But when you consider how much they were willing to pay a player like Peja (according to what we heard from ownership), I think Bonzi is well worth what he's getting paid. And I also think he can be had for a reasonable amount without crippling the team.

I disagree with your assertion that Kevin Martin is good enough that the Kings don't need to have Wells back. I don't understand how you can say that a second-year player with the accomplishments of Kevin Martin is good enough to fill the void that would be left by a player who turned in the best overall performance of anyone in the series. Bonzi Wells led the NBA in rebounds in the first round, beating out Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Lamar Odom, Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal, Elton Brand, Marcus Camby, and a host of other "big" men. He's the tough, physical player we've been wanting, and K-Mart - as impressed as I was by his play and as much as I like him - simply cannot compete on that level.

I mean, we're not talking about letting go of 33 year old Jim Jackson in favor of our younger players (Hedo Turkoglu, Gerald Wallace, etc.) We're talking about a player in his prime that is capable of scoring, rebounding and defending as well or better than anyone else on the team.

I think that offering Bonzi a 5 year contract worth $36-40 million, ranging from $6 or $7 million in the first year to $9 or $10 million in the last, with an option on the 5th year, is reasonable. And I think he's worth it. And if he's not panning out, that's not an untradeable contract. I mean, if we were able to move Webber's contract and Brian Skinner's contract, we can move that one. Hopefully we won't have to, though.

 

[Superman]

By the way, Joe Johnson had a superb year in Atlanta, and the Suns could have definitely used him in the Lakers series.

Boris Diaw had an okay year, especially since Amare Stoudemire was out all season, but the Suns would not have been making a mistake had they held on the Joe Johnson. Remember, they have the flexibility on their roster that allowed him to be somewhat expendable. I don't think we have that same flexibility.

 

[Venom]

I

I think that offering Bonzi a 5 year contract worth $36-40 million, ranging from $6 or $7 million in the first year to $9 or $10 million in the last, with an option on the 5th year, is reasonable. And I think he's worth it. And if he's not panning out, that's not an untradeable contract. I mean, if we were able to move Webber's contract and Brian Skinner's contract, we can move that one. Hopefully we won't have to, though.

You think Bonzi is going to take a paycut next year?!? Seriously? I mean, you really think he is going to play for less money next year than he made this year? This is the NBA. Guys don't take paycuts, especially not after a good year and a great playoff performance. Get your head out of the clouds. You just proved my point exactly. That IS the kind of contract he is worth, but that's not the kind of contract that he'll sign. And I don't think you really want him at that price either. How long before he starts pissing and moaning about his contract and playing time if he's only making $7M? And if the Maloofs were seriously going to drop a max deal on Peja then they really are average fans.

He rebounded well, and that was fantastic. . .heroic even. But if our frontline was worth a darn Bonzi would not be pulling down those kind of numbers. Our starting center averaged less than 3 rebounds a game. That is absolutely absurd. Our starting PF should be a backup SF. SAR has actually found his niche I think, but his rebounding is still modest at best.

Diaw was the Most Improved Player and produced from out of nowhere. Johnson's replacements, Bell and Barbosa, seemed to produce quite nicely as well. Both had shown promise before, were given more prominent roles, and delivered. There is no reason that Martin and Garcia could not produce similar results. Our roster has talent. I criticized the Martin pick before, a lot, but he's made a beliver out of me.

 

[kingsfan916]

Next season, Miller is due to make $9,625,000. Thomas will make $6,720,312. Throw in Potapenko (expiring contract) with $3,315,000, and those three guys' salaries add up to just under $20M. Keep Wells, and trade those guys.

Who can we get for $20M? This guy.

Then sign Lorenzen Wright as a free agent; Wright's good enough if you have a Kevin Garnett playing next to him.

OH HELL YES!

 

[Superman]

You think Bonzi is going to take a paycut next year?!? Seriously? I mean, you really think he is going to play for less money next year than he made this year? This is the NBA. Guys don't take paycuts, especially not after a good year and a great playoff performance. Get your head out of the clouds. You just proved my point exactly. That IS the kind of contract he is worth, but that's not the kind of contract that he'll sign. And I don't think you really want him at that price either. How long before he starts pissing and moaning about his contract and playing time if he's only making $7M?

If Isiah Thomas wants to outbid us for Bonzi Wells, then let him. But I don't think there are going to be too many teams lining up to pay him much more than $7 or $8 million this summer for a 29 year old swingman who has been traded twice in the past two years. I'd like to see him stay at that price, or somewhere around there. Once we start talking about $50-60 million contracts, then he's negotiating himself out of a long-term contract with the Kings. And that will probably lead to him losing a lot of money. Ask Reggie Bush.

And if the Maloofs were seriously going to drop a max deal on Peja then they really are average fans.

Word up.

He rebounded well, and that was fantastic. . .heroic even. But if our frontline was worth a darn Bonzi would not be pulling down those kind of numbers. Our starting center averaged less than 3 rebounds a game. That is absolutely absurd. Our starting PF should be a backup SF. SAR has actually found his niche I think, but his rebounding is still modest at best.

Bonzi has always been a good rebounder. He pulled down the numbers he pulled down because he was constantly around the rim. Even when the Spurs concentrated on trying to keep him off the glass, he still got his. He consistently outrebounded Tim Duncan all series long.

It is absurd that Brad Miller didn't show up, but Bonzi is still the best rebounder on the team. The only person that can compete with him is Ron Artest, and that's saying something about our big men. But those two are still capable of pulling down 7+ rebounds a game, per.

Diaw was the Most Improved Player and produced from out of nowhere. Johnson's replacements, Bell and Barbosa, seemed to produce quite nicely as well. Both had shown promise before, were given more prominent roles, and delivered. There is no reason that Martin and Garcia could not produce similar results. Our roster has talent. I criticized the Martin pick before, a lot, but he's made a beliver out of me.

Joe Johnson had a better year than all three of them. They didn't play bad (Steve Nash can make so-so players look better than they really are), and Raja Bell is a better defender, but Johnson is the better player, and the Suns wouldn't have been making a mistake to hold on to him. I think he got too much money, though, and that's probably the main reason the Suns let him go. I don't have a problem with that.

I don't think that we have the same situation here. Bonzi isn't going to get a $70 million contract from anyone, so we won't have to worry about that. And I don't think Kevin Martin is as good as Raja Bell or Leandro Barbosa (maybe as good as Barbosa, but...). He doesn't have as much experience, either. Same goes for Francisco Garcia.

Bottom line is we have a really good player who can fit the type of team we want to build, and if he can be had for a reasonable amount of long-term money, we should keep him. We should NOT let him sign elsewhere because Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia are waiting on the bench; they are inferior players who will not fill the void he would leave. If we get outbid, that's another story. But the young guys aren't a good reason to let a solid veteran player go.

 

[y2kings]

We must Sign and Draft Bozni

Although everyone seems to have a love affair with Wells, there some negatives that we must all consider about bonzi. First of all, health has always been an issue with him. Secondly, we know he's a great rebounder, help team defender and low post player...however, he doesnt have great shooting ability which you traditionally would like to have at the 2 guard position. Historically,the 2 guard position in the NBA has been the dense position in player availability. There are quite a few good 2 guards that can be picked up in the draft or via sign and trade (ie Carlos delfino, petrius, like Diaw was last year) or simply draft swingman or pick them up ie Marques daniels or Josh Howard, Ginobli late in the draft. My point is, in some way or another, you can make a decent pick up at the SG position compared to the F/C position. With many players having the size needed for a SG (6'4-6'7) there's quite a bit of opportunity to find a player who hopefully will come through. Such isnt the case with a big man...so it'd be wise to keep salary cap flexibility in the hopes of landing a big man..something we NEED. we dont NEED to keep Wells. Hopefully one of those SG that progresses is Kevin Martin. We cannot commit 7-9 million dollars per year on a play who's only demonstrated this level of commitment to play for 1 season, that being his contract year.

We should take advantage of teams willling to give this kind of money to player and deeply desire him. Look at the case with Joe Johnson. Very good player but look at what pheonix got back for him....Boris Diaw and 2 1st Round picks...which will not be lottery protected I believe after 2008. Another great movie which came out of a Sign and trade was the Jamel Crawford trade..the Knicks gave up the 2006 1st round pick, with no lottery protection...translation: 2nd pick of the 2006 draft goes to the BULLS!

 

[Warhawk]

You mean sign and trade, right?

You make a good point if we can get a quality big man, it would probably be worth it. Question is, who is willing to give up a quality big man to help us in exchange for Bonzi, if we want to go that route? Trades are a two-way street, you know.

Sign Bonzi to $18 mil and swap straight up for KG????

 

[y2kings]

You mean sign and trade, right?

You make a good point if we can get a quality big man, it would probably be worth it. Question is, who is willing to give up a quality big man to help us in exchange for Bonzi, if we want to go that route? Trades are a two-way street, you know.

Sign Bonzi to $18 mil and swap straight up for KG????

You don't need to get a quality big man in return...simply draft picks or a SG/back up PG would definitely help too

 

[Bricklayer]

Although everyone seems to have a love affair with Wells, there some negatives that we must all consider about bonzi. First of all, health has always been an issue with him.

Oh really. Do tell.

That would come as news to...well just about everybody. Traditionally missed about 10 games a year. Has no chronic problems. The groin thing this year was his first major injury. How exactly does all of that translate into "health has always been an issue for him"?

Secondly, we know he's a great rebounder, help team defender and low post player...however, he doesnt have great shooting ability which you traditionally would like to have at the 2 guard position.

Yes, much like we had from Doug Christie during oour contending years. Oh...er...never mind.

 

[nbrans]

Yes, much like we had from Doug Christie during oour contending years. Oh...er...never mind.

This part isn't quite true, Doug always shot over 35% from 3 with about 2 attempts per game, and other than his first year with the Kings he shot over 45% overall from the field.

I'm not saying it backs up y2kings' overall analysis of Bonzi, but Doug did get it done from outside, in the regular season at least.

 

[Bricklayer]

This part isn't quite true, Doug always shot over 35% from 3 with about 2 attempts per game, and other than his first year with the Kings he shot over 45% overall from the field.

I'm not saying it backs up y2kings' overall analysis of Bonzi, but Doug did get it done from outside, in the regular season at least.

True to a certian degree, but Doug put up what meager numbers he did precisely because nobody respected his shot and he was the designated double off of guy for the opposing teams. He hit a respectable amount in a roleplayer type fashion, but it was the least of what he did.

As an aside, Doug's career 3pt% .355, Bonzi's .335. If that's REALLY what you wanted Bonzi to do, he could probably hit a few for you. But of tcourse it is not. Bonzi's strength is his very ability to attack guards where they are weak -- down inside -- and still have the athleticism and perimeter skills to defend them on the perimeter on the other end of the floor.

 

[Troy]

With all this Doug talk, what do you think about bringing back Doug and Bobby off the bench and having them retire Kings? They are both free agents and that would strengthen our bench with their veteran leadership. I'm all for this if we can have them cheap enough. Look at the Spurs, they have so many weapons in their shed, old weapons, but can still work suprisingly well in limited minutes and in the right situation. We definately need a good PF/C athletic big guy starting, but we also need to build our bench up. We had such a strong bench years ago, and this year didn't have much of a clue eventhough young KMart and Cisco did good for us....we were really lucky...there wasn't much thought into it...we have a major problem with K9 & SAR bothing wanting to start and SAR having to come off the bench because K9 doesn't want to.

 

[Superman]

Bobby doesn't want to come off the bench behind Mike. Always resented it when he was here. And he hasn't played a full season in a while now, due to various injuries. Loved Bobby and his spot-on imitation of Vinnie "The Microwave" Johnson, but he was a turnover waiting to happen, and could kill an offense as easy as he could get one jump-started. But he'd still be better off the bench than any other small guard option we've had the past two seasons.

And Doug just isn't any good anymore. Can't do what he excelled at - play defense, which kept him in the League - and was never terribly good at anything else. Okay at a few things, but never an offensive talent outside of two or three seasons in Toronto; he was scoring 15ppg or so, but still only shooting in the low .40s, even as low as 38% at one point. I liked Doug and his style of play, but I wouldn't consider him a "weapon", per se.

 

[VF21]

Bobby doesn't want to come off the bench behind Mike.

While that might have been true before, I think he might look at things a little differently now. A lot would depend on who the new coach is, but I think Bobby might be lured back if he thought there was a legitimate position waiting for him.

 

[walker60]

Trade Bonzi in a sign and trade deal. He played good this year and especially in the playoffs, but its time to sell high. K-Mart is a rising talent and should be the starter next year in my humble opinion.

 

[y2kings]

This part isn't quite true, Doug always shot over 35% from 3 with about 2 attempts per game, and other than his first year with the Kings he shot over 45% overall from the field.

I'm not saying it backs up y2kings' overall analysis of Bonzi, but Doug did get it done from outside, in the regular season at least.

i've been watching bonzi wells play since he was drafted by the pistons...and then traded to the blazers. He had an ACL tear late in the 2001 season and had a full ACL recontruction. He didnt miss many games as he came back. He's had somewhat of an injury bug relative to other players.

Anyway, DC used to be a much better scorer earlier in his career but as we all know, was a Defensive stopper. But if you've ever played on a basketball team...be that middle school, high school, college or any competitive level...there's a certain skill set ascribed to different position. Usually 2 Guards are very good shooters and often times the leading scorer on a team. Your best all-around player should be your swingman 3 position (Ron Artest is a perfect example, also scottie pippen)

 

[IVote4Replay]

The Bonz WAS our rebounding...

 

[Bricklayer]

i've been watching bonzi wells play since he was drafted by the pistons...and then traded to the blazers. He had an ACL tear late in the 2001 season and had a full ACL recontruction. He didnt miss many games as he came back. He's had somewhat of an injury bug relative to other players.

Anyway, DC used to be a much better scorer earlier in his career but as we all know, was a Defensive stopper. But if you've ever played on a basketball team...be that middle school, high school, college or any competitive level...there's a certain skill set ascribed to different position. Usually 2 Guards are very good shooters and often times the leading scorer on a team. Your best all-around player should be your swingman 3 position (Ron Artest is a perfect example, also scottie pippen)

Um...and maybe in high school the Basketball 101 textbooks actually apply. However by the time you hit the big leagues, they no longer really do, and you have the two best teams in the West battling it out behind radically different PF stars and roleplaying SFs, their PGs are scorers etc.. And you sit here on the team board of a team that always broke just about all of those rules and was as good as anyone in the league for years and years.

Players needing to have certain skillsets is...well does not track with reality by the time you hit the NBA. TEAMS need to have certain skillsets from somebody on the floor, and there are certainly certain positions that can more obviously provide things than others, but many many good teams get by with one of their swing players not being particularly prolific on the permeter. Heck, if I gave you this collection of names, how many are truly oriented out on the perimeter?: Howard, Daniels, Stackhouse, Hamilton, Prince, Evans, Ginobili, Bowen, Finley. Only the Spurs trio is a perimeter group, and that includes Bowen who is the ultimate rolpelayer and can't do anything else, and Manu who loves to drive. The Pistons trio can hit long jumpers, but would rather work closer to the hoop, none of them hits even 1 3ptr a game. And the Dallas trio pretty much sucks from range, and does nearly all its damage inside. And then you have Wade and Posey for the #4 team... Meanwhile most of the best jumpshooting OGs,. the Allen's, Redd's etc. are all sitting at home watching from the couch. This is the NBA, they've moved a bit past Basketball 101.

Quick question, who would you rather have as your OG, Bonzi Wells or Cat Mobley?

 

[y2kings]

Um...and maybe in high school the Basketball 101 textbooks actually apply. However by the time you hit the big leagues, they no longer really do, and you have the two best teams in the West battling it out behind radically different PF stars and roleplaying SFs, their PGs are scorers etc.. And you sit here on the team board of a team that always broke just about all of those rules and was as good as anyone in the league for years and years.

Players needing to have certain skillsets is...well does not track with reality by the time you hit the NBA. TEAMS need to have certain skillsets from somebody on the floor, and there are certainly certain positions that can more obviously provide things than others, but many many good teams get by with one of their swing players not being particularly prolific on the permeter. Heck, if I gave you this collection of names, how many are truly oriented out on the perimeter?: Howard, Daniels, Stackhouse, Hamilton, Prince, Evans, Ginobili, Bowen, Finley. Only the Spurs trio is a perimeter group, and that includes Bowen who is the ultimate rolpelayer and can't do anything else, and Manu who loves to drive. The Pistons trio can hit long jumpers, but would rather work closer to the hoop, none of them hits even 1 3ptr a game. And the Dallas trio pretty much sucks from range, and does nearly all its damage inside. And then you have Wade and Posey for the #4 team... Meanwhile most of the best jumpshooting OGs,. the Allen's, Redd's etc. are all sitting at home watching from the couch. This is the NBA, they've moved a bit past Basketball 101.

Quick question, who would you rather have as your OG, Bonzi Wells or Cat Mobley?

Most teams run the conventional 1-5 set in the NBA...except for maybe the suns. Of the guys you listed, all have a consistant jumpshot except for Mo Evans, maybe josh howard...but the others are very good perimeter shooters. These 2 guards you described are much more of slashers and shooters than bonzi. I'm just saying, bonzi does a lot but he doesn't do 9 million dollars worth of stuff....Using that money and using it towards PF/C needs makes more sense. Like the guys you described...manu, wade, terry, finley, prince, hamilton would all fit the bill....and LOT of those types of playesr are always available...off guard is the most dense position in the nba.

 

[Bricklayer]

We've got all the money we'll ever need to get a forntcourt player...tied up in the current frontcourt morass. THAT's where you get the $$$ for your new frontcourt guy from, not by pillaging the backcourt of its talent.

Miller $9.6mil
Thomas $6.7mil
Corliss $6.5mil
Shareef $5.4mil
Potapenko $3.3mil

Total: $31.5mil, or almost 2/3 of the salary cap, and over half of our payroll. THAT'S where the money to get a repalcment big comes from. Not by throwing another $9mil in on top of it and having $40million in your frontcourt and a bargain basement everythign else.

 

[treewoman]

Quick question, who would you rather have as your OG, Bonzi Wells or Cat Mobley?

Was this a real question?

I hated Cat (ok maybe "hate is a bit strong") I thought he was a ball hog, full of himself and in general he just annoyed me. He was all about "Cat" and I got the impression that he felt he was lowering himself playing with the Kings.

Wells on the other hand has busted his buns. Prior to getting Ron, prior to Wells groin injury - I felt that Wells was really the motivating factor for the team - he lifted spirits, he was tough as hell (how many times did he get hurt and shake it off and continue to play) and over all I think he has an awesome attitude.

One thing that really has stood out for me with both Wells and Artest is that they have a strong "I wanna win" attitude and team spirit.

Wells or Mobley - No contest, IMHO

 

[walker60]

We've got all the money we'll ever need to get a forntcourt player...tied up in the current frontcourt morass. THAT's where you get the $$$ for your new frontcourt guy from, not by pillaging the backcourt of its talent.

Miller $9.6mil
Thomas $6.7mil
Corliss $6.5mil
Shareef $5.4mil
Potapenko $3.3mil

Total: $31.5mil, or almost 2/3 of the salary cap, and over half of our payroll. THAT'S where the money to get a repalcment big comes from. Not by throwing another $9mil in on top of it and having $40million in your frontcourt and a bargain basement everythign else.

Yes we do have some money tied up in the frontcourt, but none of those players has substantial trade value. SAR, Corliss, and Potapenko have some value b/c of their contracts, but trading Miller and Thomas would be difficult. Also, teams rarely trade big for big. What's the point for most teams to trade a C for a C. That type of trade doesn't accomplish much unless you are unloading a player with off-court issues. That's where Bonzi comes in. If a team needs a SG, then they might be willing to give up a decent C. When trading, teams are trying to fill needs, they usually don't swap players of the same position. In my opinion, I just don't think we could get the impact big man we need by trading away some of our big men. But maybe I'm wrong.

Also, are backcourt has a few good younger players that could step in like Martin, Garcia, and Monia. They need more playing time and keeping Bonzi will stunt their development IMHO.

 

[chaps]

Sign and Trade Bonzi Wells!

I'm thinking that it MIGHT be in the Kings best interest to sign and trade Bonzi Wells.


Here are my reasons

1) Him and Ron both pretty much bring the same thing to the table. A big chunky SG-SF that can post up smaller defenders and play lock-down Defense like their lives depend on it. I love how they play, I really do, but we can't really afford having the same player twice, not with the holes we need to fill in our roster.

2)His stock has never been any higher. We got him for Bobby and Ostertag. He is now worth much more than that. After going crazy on the league's best defense while averaging an unheard of(for a 2-guard) 20 and 12, his stock has skyrocketed. Which realistically, will not be duplicated anytime soon by Bonzi. If we keep him and he plays like he did last year(which is pretty good) but not 20-10 good. We lose the possibility of someone biting on his one outstanding series rather than considering all of his previous seasons(which is less spectacular even if pretty solid).

3) Trade bait. He's pretty much the only player that we can afford getting rid of that has significant trade value. Brad's at the moment is non-existant and I don't think we can afford losing Mike or Ron. The same reasons why we want to trade Kenny Thomas, Corliss Williamson etc to fill some of our needs are the exact same reason why other teams don't want them and want some big guns instead. You gotta trade talent to get talent back. Bonzi's stock has never been higher and I think that this is the time to trade him before he loses some of that value. Think about it, if you were a fan of a team of any other NBA franchise in the league, would you want Bonzi? Of course you would, he's a terrific player. Can the same be said about guys like KT and Corliss? No, so if we want to acquire that great shotblocking-rebounding PF, we're gonna have to give something relavent in return.

Miller for example, was in a major funk against the Spurs which no doubt brought down his trade value. Let him play out of that funk next year and return to his 15-9-5 self so his value can be accurate to what he normally produces. Then consider trading him. Bonzi is the opposite of that.


Then again, I'm not even sold on this whole theory. I love Bonzi and his game and I don't wanna see him leave. But I just think that it might not be as crazy as a lot of people think to explore trade options for a player that played that ridiculously well against the world champs.