If 13 million is received, run away? Bill buys out the three-fold reversal of the big show, can the Clippers really find treasure?

When the $13 million advance is deposited into the account on time on July 16, will Bradley Beal immediately block all contact information from Sun management? This plot, which sounds like a cool workplace, is actually being staged in the desert of Phoenix. Mr. Yuan, who holds the veto power, is aiming at the spotlight of Los Angeles while holding the hard-earned money of the Sun's Future. This seemingly for sure buyout drama actually hides an undercurrent that is enough to subvert the western pattern - are the Clippers really ready to welcome this "billion yuan veteran"? The management of the Suns has been watching the calendar every day recently. According to the special terms in Bill's contract, the shooting guard who holds a four-year, $207 million contract will receive a 25% advance payment of the 2025-26 season salary on July 16, which is converted into a specific number of $13.4 million. This money is like a watershed. Before that, the sun was still holding a little "maybe it can lose less"; after that, they could only watch Bill run to the Clippers' arms with the money without looking back.

"This is not a buyout, it is clearly the sun who spends money to ask someone to leave." A netizen complained in the ESPN news comment section that this comment quickly received more than 3,000 likes. Indeed, compared with Lillard's first giving up $13.9 million, Bill's operation is more like "maximization of benefits" after accurate calculations - first get this unwavering advance payment, and then make as little concessions as possible in the buyout negotiations. According to the league rules, he must give up at least $13.9 million of his $111 million contract, but the smart team of agents has paved the way for him: use the Clippers' middle-class contract + next year's free market opportunity to minimize losses.

The Suns have come to this point purely because of their own fault. Do you still remember that crazy offseason in 2022? They exchanged half of the teams such as Bridges and Cameron Johnson for Bill, and fantasized about forming the "Big Three" of Booker + Bill + Durant. At that time, an expert warned: "Three scorers who need ball rights are squeezed together, and a defensive loophole can put a truck in it." Sure enough, the Suns averaged 113.4 points per game last season, ranking 20th in the league, and were swept by the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. Netizen "Basketball Old Cannon" commented to the point: "I thought I had picked up a treasure, but now I know it's a hot potato. The Suns management's operation is simply a reverse textbook. "

What's more embarrassing is Bill's attitude. According to the Arizona Republic, he began to passively slacking off during training as early as February this year, and even refused to participate in the team's tactical seminar. "He is like an office worker who pays on time. He watches his opponent break through with his waist on the defensive end, and throws the ball when he gets the ball on the offensive end. " An anonymous Suns assistant coach revealed. This relationship of appearance and separation makes the buyout the only relief for both sides - the Suns want to get rid of this salary burden, while Bill wants to win the championship at the end of his career.

When the Clippers' management saw the news of Bill's buyout in the conference room, it was probably already celebrated. This team that has been hovering in the Western Conference ranks for many years but has always been in a bad tone, needs a scorer who can hold the ball and attack at critical moments. Leonard's "load management" has made his regular season attendance rate less than 70% all year round, and George's glass attributes make fans even more worried. Bill's scoring ability of 23.1 points per game in his career can just fill the firepower gap between the two after the game.

"The Clippers are buying at the bottom! The middle class contract of 5.35 million is signed with a guard who averages 20+ per game, which is more worthwhile than the Lakers' signing of Howard back then." Basketball commentator Yang Yi said bluntly in the live broadcast. But calm down and think about it, is this seemingly perfect deal really not hidden dangers? Last season, Bill's shooting percentage was only 43.6%, the third lowest in his career; his three-point shooting percentage dropped to 33.5%, and his defensive foot movements also slowed down significantly. Some netizens found a collection of highlights of his continuous breakthroughs against Curry: "At this defensive level, Murray, who meets the Nuggets, may be called an ATM. "

What is more important is the issue of ball rights distribution. In the Clippers' offensive system, Leonard and George have occupied a lot of time to hold the ball, and Westbrook on the bench also needs the ball to play. Bill's career has 82% of the games played as the team's top scorer. If he is used to controlling the ball, can he be willing to play the "third choice" in the Clippers? "Think about the third young master of the Thunder back then, the ball was not enough and the final part ended in a bad mood. The Clippers should not repeat the same mistakes. " The concerns of a senior Clippers fan are not unreasonable.

But from the Clippers' perspective, this signing is still worth the risk. Their current salary structure has reached the brink of luxury tax. The 5.35 million middle class special case is the greatest sincerity you can show, and Bill's "1+1" contract can not only ensure competitiveness this year, but will not lock down next year's operating space. What's even better is that if Paul can be signed at the same time, this veteran who is familiar with the Los Angeles basketball ecology, may become the adhesive for the locker room, allowing this team with stars to truly react.

Bill's story is like a mirror, reflecting the truest side of the NBA business league. Three years ago, when he signed the four-year, $207 million contract, everyone thought it was a symbol of "unrequited fortune"; three years later, he wanted to voluntarily give up tens of millions of dollars in order to join the championship team. Behind this change is the stars’ re-understanding of their own value - the temptation of the championship ring, which sometimes really overshadows the numbers on the check.

Netizen "Old K Chats Ball "'s view is very representative: "Now the NBA is no longer an era of 'whoever has more money'. Look at James and Durant, they would rather cut their salary for the championship. Bill is smart in this move. "Indeed, in today's highly developed social media, the commercial value and historical status improvement brought by a championship ring may be more cost-effective than a big contract.. If Bill can realize his dream in the Clippers, he will still sign a good contract next summer. If he continues to waste his time in the sun, he may really become a laughing stock of "high salary and low ability". The lessons of the Suns are even more worth pondering. In order to pursue "quick championship", they piled up stars regardless of the situation, but ignored the importance of team culture and chemical reactions. This quick-sighted operation eventually led to today's situation - not only wasting Booker and Durant's peak period, but also carrying a heavy salary burden. "NBA is not a simple addition to star. The Warriors' death five little boys back then depended on the system rather than piled up superstars. " Basketball commentator Su Qun came to the nail on the head.

For the Clippers, Bill's joining is an opportunity and a test. Whether they can break the curse of "stars will fail" is not how strong they are on paper, but whether they can build a healthy team culture. After all, basketball is a sport of five people, and no matter how good the stars are, they need to be integrated into the system to maximize their value.

When the bell rang on July 16, the moment when the $13.4 million was arrived, Bill's NBA career will turn a new page. Regardless of the end result, this story from Washington to Phoenix to Los Angeles is already exciting enough. It tells us: In the world of professional sports, there are no eternal sky-high contracts, only ever-changing opportunities and challenges. And the real strong man can always find his own position in the changing situation - this may be the greatest inspiration given to us by Bill's story.