Free agent Bonzi Wells met with the Rockets on Monday.

Sept. 19, 2006, 1:04AM
Free agent Wells talks with Rockets
Spending limit makes pursuing guard a long shot

By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

Free agent Bonzi Wells met with Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy and general manager Carroll Dawson on Monday at Toyota Center as the Rockets stepped up their long-shot pursuit of the veteran guard.

Though the Rockets are limited by the salary cap and some of their free-agent spending this summer, Wells has clearly not ruled out the Rockets while also considering the Nuggets, Heat and Bobcats.

Wells, who went from expecting to be a top free agent to searching for a place to land two weeks before training camps open, replaced longtime agent William Phillips last month, with the switch to Merle Scott forcing a delay in the already protracted process.

Wells, who turns 30 on Wednesday, averaged 13.6 points and 7.7 rebounds with the Kings last season and 23.2 points and 12 rebounds in the playoffs against the Spurs.

After earning $8 million last season, he turned down a five-year, $36 million offer from the Kings, a strong indication that an offer of a mid-level exception would not work. The Kings instead signed John Salmons, and the majority of teams over the cap spent their mid-level exceptions.

The Rockets have just $2.1 million of their mid-level exception remaining to offer unless they can work out a sign-and-trade deal with the Kings. The Rockets have a $4.2 million trade exception in which they could sign a free agent for as much as $4.2 million and send only a draft choice, but as with any sign-and-trade arrangement, that would require an agreement with the Kings.

Wells was the 11th pick of the 1998 NBA Draft out of Ball State and was immediately traded by the Pistons to the Trail Blazers, where he played five-plus seasons before he was traded to the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies sent him to the Kings for Bobby Jackson and Greg Ostertag.