In a somewhat bizarre finish to his tumultuous offseason, Bonzi Wells has agreed to a two-year/$5 M contract with the Houston Rockets. Wells holds a player option for the second year of the contract and fully intends to enter free agency next summer, according to his agent, Merle Scott.
Wells was looking to cash in this summer after a glorious playoff run against the Spurs, where he averaged 23 points and 12 rebounds in the series. He turned down a five-year/$36 M offer from the Kings, which turned out to be a huge financial blunder. He fired his agent at the time – William Phillips – once the free agent market dried up (and the Kings signed John Salmons), so presumably Phillips gave him some bad advice on the Kings’ original offer.
Nevertheless, the Rockets were in the right place at the right time. Landing Wells – even for one year – at $2.5 M is a coup, assuming you’re not worried about his reputation for being a malcontent. He is a very talented player and he will be motivated to produce, as he’s made it clear that he intends to test free agency again next summer.
From the Rockets’ perspective, it’s not clear how Wells will fit into the lineup alongside Tracy McGrady and the newly-acquired Shane Battier. Wells and McGrady both play shooting guard, while McGrady is more than capable of swinging over to small forward, Battier’s natural position. Unless they plan to run Battier at power forward, one of these guys is going to have to come off the bench, and it won’t be McGrady.
