UPDATE: Bonzi's a Rocket

The latest reports out of NBA rumor-land say that Bonzi's latest and greatest agent has planned for a deal to be struck by this upcoming Friday - and that the Houston Rockets are the frontrunners to sign the 6' 5" shooting guard who posted 13.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in his first (and likely only) full season for the Kings in the 2005-06 campaign.

Bonzi, whose ill-fated free agency has produced a virtual cavalcade of ego-driven errors thus far, has seen his potential haul diminish greatly as the months go by, and the Kings have clearly moved on, leaving the guard with a small list of teams interested who have both the roster space and cap space to make a move. The latest list is down to four: the Rockets, Nuggets, Heat and Bobcats. Houston is seen as having an edge, with both the Heat and Nuggets in salary cap hell, and the Bobcats having the cash but not necessarily the desire.

Now, star Tracy McGrady is clamoring for Bonzi to join him on the Rockets squad, making a personal push for Wells as early as this morning, according to ESPN.com.

"We're really good friends. I was with Bonzi this offseason, was talking to him, and Houston's a place he's real interested in. He's a grown man, he's been in this league for a long time, and the decision will really come down to him," McGrady said. "I'm sure [the Rockets] want him. What he did in the postseason this year, it was eye-catching. I've been trying to make that work because I think Bonzi would be a great addition to our team..."

The Rockets could offer a sign-and-trade for a second-round pick and a trade exception worth $4.2 million, according to the report, and the Kings would like to get something, rather than nothing at all, for letting Bonzi be Bonzi. We may finally soon have a conclusion to this drawn-out saga after all.

Update [2006-9-28 0:35:8 by louismg]:
ESPN: Wells agrees to 2 year, $5M deal with Rockets