Bonzi Wells: Fires Agent

[ducks]

Bonzi Wells: Fires Agent

RotoWire.com Staff - RotoWire.com
Monday, September 11, 2006
Update: According to two agents, Wells fired his agent, William Phelps, the Sacramento Bee reports.

Recommendation: Wells and Phelps turned down a five-year, $36 million offer from the Kings, expecting to make more on the open market after a nice postseason run against the Spurs. Wells informed the Kings he would like to return, but Sacramento is up against the luxury tax threshold and have signed John Salmons to replace Wells.

[ShoogarBear]

MLE, anyone?

[ducks]

vet min spurs should sign him

[Kori Ellis]

Someone can probably get him for a couple million for a year. I'm not sure whose fault his situation is (his or his agent) but it's got to suck for him.

[ShoogarBear]

Does Cleveland have room? I'd LMAO if Danny Ferry signed him.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Can't say I'm crying for him. He's been making this bed with his stupidity for years. Maybe he and Latrell can start a support group.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Sign and trade for Barry

[withcheese]

this is the same kind of shit that happened with Latrell and his "i have to feed my family" line

we've all discussed ad nauseum whether or not bonzi would be a good spur.

my question is:

what is it about these thuggish, trouble-making almost-superstars that makes them shoot themselves in the foot so badly?

is it just straight up greed, or is there something else going on? are the owners in the NBA "paying him back" for all his bullshit by selling him short? is the bad behavior coming from an over-inflated ego, the same place that the buck chasing is coming from? whats up here with bonzi? what was he thinking?

[ShoogarBear]

Obviously, he was thinking he could do better than $7.2 Mil/yr.

I think the owners have caught on to the scam of someone riding a short hot streak to a big payday, and are no longer willing to ignore the past history before the hot streak.

Or, maybe it's just because the usual big spenders have taken a year off.

[Kori Ellis]

Obviously, he was thinking he could do better than $7.2 Mil/yr.

I think the owners have caught on to the scam of someone riding a short hot streak to a big payday, and are no longer willing to ignore the past history before the hot streak.

Or, maybe it's just because the usual big spenders have taken a year off.


Sometimes I think it's the agents fault as much as the players. I'm sure a lot of the time they are the ones advising the players that they can wait and get more money, which in Bonzi's situation backfired. Players need to take a more active role in the decisions, if that's the case.

[ShoogarBear]

Players need to take a more active role in the decisions, if that's the case.

Yeah, although I suspect very few of these guys are going to have the ego and insight to say, "$7.2 Mil is plenty. Yeah, it's less than Michael Finley, but he's overpaid." :lol

The agents should be smarter than that, since I presume they work off commission.

[Kori Ellis]

The agents should be smarter than that, since I presume they work off commission.

Unless they are like Babby are get an hourly rate, most NBA agents make 4%.

[ducks]

Sign and trade for Barry

and the kings would be willing to pay the tax for barry but not wells

[ShoogarBear]

Babby is an attorney, though, isn't he? So I bet he provides multiple services

[Kori Ellis]

Babby is an attorney, though, isn't he? So I bet he provides multiple services

Yes.

I'm just saying he doesn't take the standard 4%, he just gets an hourly rate. I think there's only one other popular NBA agent who does the same thing. The rest usually get their 4% (which is the maximum they can get).

[PM5K]

They just over estimated his value, I think the original offer was reasonable, but someone made the mistake of thinking he could get more....

I wouldn't put him in the same boat at Spree though...

[ShoogarBear]

Yes.

I'm just saying he doesn't take the standard 4%, he just gets an hourly rate. I think there's only one other popular NBA agent who does the same thing. The rest usually get their 4% (which is the maximum they can get).

I bet the rules are written such that even if you charge an hourly rate, you can't bill beyond the 4% equivalent UNLESS you're billing for other services than being an agent.

Babby probably can end up making more than the 4% this way (legitimately, though, since everything I know about him says he's a straight shooter).

4% is a lot less than Ari Gold gets.

[kskonn]

They just over estimated his value, I think the original offer was reasonable, but someone made the mistake of thinking he could get more....

I wouldn't put him in the same boat at Spree though...


I definitely would not put him in the spree situation, espicially since he openly said he wanted to go back to the kings, unfortunately they have already moved on.

[Supergirl]

Sometimes I think it's the agents fault as much as the players. I'm sure a lot of the time they are the ones advising the players that they can wait and get more money, which in Bonzi's situation backfired. Players need to take a more active role in the decisions, if that's the case.

I would agree. Players pay agents for one reason, and one reason alone: To advise them about the best decision and help them negotiate. Bonzi's agent clearly fucked up - he probably believed the great playoff run would make teams forget about his spotty record for the years leading up to that run, and advised him not to settle for less than a certain amount. Given what some players of lesser quality (Jared Jefferies, for eg) have received, it's not completely ridiculous advice.

But, clearly, it was very wrong. Bonzi turned down Sacramento's offer, expecting other teams to offer more, and no one offered more. That's called - bad advice. Time to fire the agent. End of story.

What would make this interesting is if Latrell has the same agent. There are some agents who are notorious for offering players bad advice.

[stretch]

Sign and trade for Barry
not going to happen. no one would be that stupid. no one would be stupid enough to propose such a trade, except ignorant morons.

[RON ARTEST]

Sign and trade for Barry
:lol you will have to pray real hard for that too happen.

[Sway]

not going to happen. no one would be that stupid. no one would be stupid enough to propose such a trade, except ignorant morons.

Anything can happen when it comes to trades and FA signings. I think Isiah has proven that. :lol

[Zunni]

I read somewhere that Bonzi was his ONLY NBA client. He probably didn't know the lean pickings that was the FA market of 2006. VERY few teams could have topped what Sacto offered Bonzi, and of those, apparently none wanted to.

[bendmz]

:lol you will have to pray real hard for that too happen.
hell throw in Beno.... :elephant

[withcheese]

I would agree. Players pay agents for one reason, and one reason alone: To advise them about the best decision and help them negotiate. Bonzi's agent clearly fucked up - he probably believed the great playoff run would make teams forget about his spotty record for the years leading up to that run, and advised him not to settle for less than a certain amount. Given what some players of lesser quality (Jared Jefferies, for eg) have received, it's not completely ridiculous advice.

But, clearly, it was very wrong. Bonzi turned down Sacramento's offer, expecting other teams to offer more, and no one offered more. That's called - bad advice. Time to fire the agent. End of story.

What would make this interesting is if Latrell has the same agent. There are some agents who are notorious for offering players bad advice.

im not sure it was bonzi's agent who insisted on him holding out for the big bucks.

bonzi seems like a pretty headstrong guy, it seems just as likely (if not morso) that he wanted the money DESPITE his agents advice to sign with the kings

of course, a lot of the time agents are just as greedy as the players, so who knows? i mean, maybe his agent was PLEADING with him to take that offer and he didnt and is now upset and taking it out on his agent

[withcheese]

not going to happen. no one would be that stupid. no one would be stupid enough to propose such a trade, except ignorant morons.

ouch dude. cant we all just get along?

[SequSpur]

wgaf what the agents make or the players... the spurs better sign wells god damn it.

[Fabbs]

Unrestricted means he still gets multiyear offers from teams.

Sure if he would sign with S.A. for one year I'd love it.

[THE SIXTH MAN]

At this point Bonzi>>>>>>>> better than anyone they have signed up for camp at the three.

[ChumpDumper]

You know, if I was MJ I'd float Bonzi a 1+1 contract that would allow the Bobcats to meet the minimum payroll and give them a possible bargaining chip this year and possibly the next. It's not a perfect fit, but could take alot of pressure off of Adam Morrison his first season give a little more buzz to a largely boring team.

Ok, it might be crowded now that I think of the Hermann signing, but it's kind of coming down to paying Bonzi or paying the league in fines.

[SequSpur]

so did we sign him yet?

[Zunni]

Bonzi will suck this year. He's a big baby to begin with, but add to that the COMPLETE monetary snub by the league, and his numbers will be more mediocre than usual. I see him going to Denver, since their chemistry is already fucked up beyond belief, and his pissy attitude won't matter.

[SequSpur]

Bonzi will be an MVP candidate.

[Zunni]

Bonzi will be an MVP candidate.
You are smoking some serious rock. He's never even been close to All Star calibur, let alone a top 3 player. LOOK AT HIS HISTORY. He's a waste of talent.

12.8 points 4.7 rebs 2.3 assts CAREER. Sacto doesn't know how lucky they were, and what a fucking dud he would have been for them at $7M per.

[SequSpur]

You are smoking some serious rock. He's never even been close to All Star calibur, let alone a top 3 player. LOOK AT HIS HISTORY. He's a waste of talent.

12.8 points 4.7 rebs 2.3 assts CAREER. Sacto doesn't know how lucky they were, and what a fucking dud he would have been for them at $7M per.

You make your name in the regular season. You earn your fame in the postseason.

Bonzi Wells is a got damn stud. Stick to watchin croquet or whatever you do.

[trueD]

I'm damn happy Bonzi didn't sign the big one with Kings. He probably needs a year to get his head on straight.

I'm going with Bonzi for one year at 3-4 mil, Alex.

[RON ARTEST]

so did we sign him yet?
no, and you never will.

[RON ARTEST]

You make your name in the regular season. You earn your fame in the postseason.

Bonzi Wells is a got damn stud. Stick to watchin croquet or whatever you do.
i thought you were at least a little smart until i read bonzi was going to be an MVP candidate. :lol if he comes to the spurs he will come off the bench so how the hell is he going to be an mvp candidate?

[RON ARTEST]

I'm damn happy Bonzi didn't sign the big one with Kings. He probably needs a year to get his head on straight.

I'm going with Bonzi for one year at 3-4 mil, Alex.
i will take him for 1-3 years, 3 years being the absolute most though.

[velik_m]

You know, if I was MJ I'd float Bonzi a 1+1 contract that would allow the Bobcats to meet the minimum payroll and give them a possible bargaining chip this year and possibly the next. It's not a perfect fit, but could take alot of pressure off of Adam Morrison his first season give a little more buzz to a largely boring team.

Ok, it might be crowded now that I think of the Hermann signing, but it's kind of coming down to paying Bonzi or paying the league in fines.

not the league, the other players they have. Since many of them are on rookie contracts, i'm sure they'll appreciate an extra "bonus".

[trueD]

i will take him for 1-3 years, 3 years being the absolute most though.1-3 years would be fine, but it ain't gonna happen...sorry. I hate him for it too. Kings had to settle for less and so will he. GRRR.