Wells not play for Rockets this year
By JONATHAN FEIGEN (Houston Chronicle)Updated: 2007-04-11 09:49 A day after Rockets guard Bonzi Wells skipped Monday's game in Seattle, the Rockets have decided he will not play again this season, a person with knowledge of the Rockets' decision-making said Tuesday.
Wells left the team Tuesday in Seattle to return to Houston. He will be fined for the game he missed, but no other fines are planned. He will not be suspended or released.
Wells signed a two-year, $4.4 million contract in September. He can opt out of the contract after the season to become a free agent. If the Rockets were to release him before he opts out, they would have to pay the second year of the contract.
 Bonzi Wells #6 of the Houston Rockets gets ready to take on the Sacramento Kings on April 8, 2007 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California. [AP]  |
Inactive for 18 games before playing Friday and Sunday, Wells will return to the inactive list for the remaining four games of the regular season and the playoffs. Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson said he could not comment on the team's decision until speaking with Wells. Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said there was "nothing new right now."
"I have nothing new, really," Van Gundy said. "I don't have any reaction.
"That's got to be more of an organizational thing."
Wells' agent, Bill Duffy, however did confirm that Wells left the road trip and will talk with Dawson.
"He felt he was hurting the team," Duffy said. "He did not want to be a distraction with his play. It was not his actions. He was frustrated with his play and did not want to hurt the team. His methodology was wrong, but that's what he was trying to do."
Wells played 23 minutes on Friday, making 1 of 7 shots with three turnovers. He played just five minutes in Sacramento on Sunday, missing his only shot and committing two turnovers before, Van Gundy said, he asked out of the game. He did not play again.
Van Gundy returned Wells to the active roster and the rotation last week. He said on Tuesday that he considered Wells' place in the rotation to be for at least the remainder of the regular season was not concerned with his struggles in the two games since coming back.
Asked what he expected of Wells in the final seven games of the regular season, Van Gundy said, "Just to play well. There wasn't anything else. Just play well, nothing more, nothing less.
"I wasn't overly worried. I was going to give the whole seven games to see what I thought was the best fit going into the playoffs."
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