No one will call him "Big Bigger"

After two years of suffering in Phoenix, Bradley Bill finally left this place that didn't like him.

Phoenix basketball fans have long wanted Bill to leave. But once upon a time, Bill was not a rat crossing the street that everyone shouted and beat. In Washington, DC, everyone respectfully called him:

"better than the boss." In 2019, Tommy Shepard, who had just become the president of Wizards' basketball operations, took office first thing to do after trying to keep Bill, whose contract was about to expire.

At that time, Shepard offered the price: "As long as conditions allow, Bill will give as much as he wants."

The reason why Shepard is so generous to Bill is nothing more than having to choose, because if Shepard can't keep Bill, perhaps his initial term will be over.

After all, at that time, Bill played 82 back-to-back seasons with top John Wall playing stops and almost fading out of the league. He is a back-to-back All-Star and a back-to-back scoring champion in the team. It can be said to be a team of wizards that were in turmoil at that time with their own strength.

In 2020 and 2021, Bill averaged 30+ points per game for two consecutive years. If there were no historical superstars like Harden and Curry in those two years, then Bill would be the scoring champion who was famous for historic success.

Moreover, Bill not only established his authority in the team's locker room, he was also loved by the local Washington community off the court.

Since 2012, the league office has set up a Community Care Award, aiming to recognize NBA players who are willing to give back to the community. Two players from the Wizards have won this award, one is Wall in 2016 and the other is Bill in 2019.

So, such a player trained by Washington, who is well-deserved as a leader both on and off the court, is respectfully called "Boss". Isn't it too much?

But after the Wizards missed the playoffs in April 2023, things changed.

Keeping the boss for the Wizards did not become Shepard's achievements, but instead became a stain on his term. Wizards owner Ted Leonsis watched Bill take $40 million from his wallet every year, and he was really big.

So, the first order he gave to his successor Will Dawkins was to trade Bill.

Leonsis, who has held the Washington Wizards for more than 24 years, certainly knows that it is not easy to run the team, but where does Matt Ishbiya, who just bought the Phoenix Suns, know about this? He was so excited that he was like a kid who had just got a new toy, and just wanted to show off in front of his friends. So with a wave of his hand, wasn’t he the Bill who had 250 million in five years?

Buy!

The Suns used the old point guard god Chris Paul, Shamet, and four first-round swap rights to exchange for the boss, but there were Durant and Booker who overlapped roles in the Suns. This deal that ignored the balance of the lineup made Bill and the Suns not have a good life...

Since 2016, Bill has not scored less than 20 points, and his average score in the two years of playing in Phoenix has only 17.6 points.

30-year-old Bill was supposed to reach the peak of his athletic career, but at Phoenix it became a low-yield scorer who averaged less than 20 points per game.

Moreover, his winning contribution value last season was only ranked 7th, not only lower than the two giants, but also lower than a number of role players. There is a data called "irreplaceable" value. As the name suggests, some data experts have invented to evaluate the importance of players on the court. Bill is only ranked 8th in this event...

What makes fans shake their heads is that Bill has hardly attended the Phoenix stably.

During the 2023 season training camp, Bill missed most of the preseason and the first seven games of the season due to a back injury. In November, Bill's back injury caused him to miss the regular season for another three weeks. In late December shortly after his comeback, Bill suffered an injury to his right ankle, and a 90-degree sprain forced him to watch the wall for the next two weeks.

Frequent injuries made Bill unfavorable in his debut season in the Suns, interrupting the pace of adaptation and running-in, and preventing Bill from being able to integrate into the new team in the long season.

29 games are not missing, but it may be a crucial buffer for a newcomer who needs to integrate into the system. Bill missed the running-in stage to adapt to the new team. Then when the team is ready to start sprinting in the middle and late stages of the season, Bill can only be an outsider who is free from the system, which also leads to him being distrustful.

Injuries, poor running-in... Bill, who is out of place in Phoenix, not only cannot make positive contributions to the team, but has become the source of chaos.

This distinguished guest who was invited by Ishbiya was swept out by the Suns management two years later.

But no team is willing to take over Bill with an annual salary of up to 50 million.

No one wants to be a sucker.

The sarcastic Bill Simmons said, "You can always hear Bill's name in every trading rumors. It seems that someone is willing to trade him, but the reality is that no one dares to take that contract, and no one wants Bradley Bill."

However, the point is not that no one takes over, but that the sun cannot drive Bill away at all. Because Bill is the only two players in this league who have the right to veto the trade. If he doesn't want to leave Phoenix half a step, the Suns' management can only stare at him.

"They asked Bill to play as a substitute, trying to force him to give up his trade veto." Senior ball critic Worthley Rambre described the current situation of Bill and the Suns' breakup, "They want to drive this guy out of the team too much.".

The biggest burden in the entire league, how could Bill have the right to trade veto?

But Bill is not a vegetarian either. He fights back at the Suns' tricks with the star's unique tough attitude. Although he deeply felt that the team had "disrespectful" actions towards him, he still obeyed the decision to play as a substitute on the court; but outside the court, Bill did not give in to any of the contract and transaction veto rights.

"Everyone has the right to raise questions, but I still play in the NBA, I have the best job in the world, and I still have the right to trade veto, so I smile every day."

Bill's smile every day has become a knot in the hearts of Suns fans. They think it is Bill who ruined the future of the Suns.

"Without Bill's deal, everything would have been better than it is now."

June 28, 2025, Bill's birthday, the Suns' official Twitter sent a message to their players celebrating their birthdays as usual, but the post was filled with angry condemnations from fans.

Someone left a message, "Although I want to wish Bill a happy birthday, I have the veto power to 'not wish Bill a happy birthday'."

"I can't imagine how angry the person who manages the account is to be forced to post this post." "Imagine someone is legally robbing your team, but you have to bite the bullet and wish him a happy birthday"...

And more fans' resentment broke out in the Suns' last home game last season. This should have been a thank-you event that thanks fans for their unremitting support throughout the season, but after the fans came to the Footprint Center Arena, they were angry.

Not only because the Suns, which have 36 wins and 46 losses, are not even qualified to play in the playoffs, but also because the team's official gift to the fans who came to the court was -

"Bradley Bill's Shaking Head Doll". The person in charge of the event organized by the

The head of the event knew absolutely how much Phoenix fans hated the guy who had put the team they supported into the quagmire. So it may not be the dereliction of duty for the team staff to give Bill the fans a shaking head doll. Instead, they have to use all means to disgust fans and force Bill to expose him?

Bill is not wood either. He knows quite well how difficult it is to bear the grievances of fans in the whole city. "This situation is not ideal at all, and I don't enjoy this atmosphere at all. Sometimes things just get messy, and all I can do is stay awake and keep improving."

Bill was very sober, so he did not give up his veto power of dealings, and he had no choice.

Let us put ourselves in the shoes of Bill and put you in the environment where Bill is. When you have the initiative to control your own destiny like Bill, you probably don’t want to be traded by the team without dignity like garbage.

After all workers have the ideal of being able to fire their boss one day.

Bill Simmons opened a show about "Whose contract is worse", and Bill was elected for 5 years of $250 million + veto rights. He even believes that it is not too much to name this selection by Bill.

Bill's contract ruined the Suns' championship team, ruined the Suns' future, and ruined the boss Ishbiya's idea of showing off his strength.

If you catch a fan on the streets of Phoenix and ask, is Bill's big contract the reason for the Suns' failure? He or she will definitely tell you firmly, "Brother, you really understand the ball."

But who brought Bill to Phoenix?

This is probably like the encounter between the Lakers and Westbrook back then, forming a wrong combination at the wrong time, the wrong place, and the wrong people...

On July 17, 2025, Bill, who was bought out by the Suns, packed his bags and rushed to Los Angeles. After being teammates with Westbrook and Durant, he chose to go with his old friend Harden this time.

Two years ago, he came to Phoenix with his ambition to compete for the championship, which is why he originally appointed the Suns as his next home. Although things went against his wishes, the two years he wasted in Phoenix did not erase his mind, and he still wanted to win.

Joining the Clippers is probably the declaration he wants to win.

Bill once said, "I once averaged 30 points per game, I was selected for the All-Star team, and I was selected for the All-Star. But, 'I won nothing', this has always been a label on me, I don't want to be such a person."

Now, Bill, who only earned 5.5 million yuan a year, has removed the burden of high salary, and there may not be a harsh public opinion environment in Los Angeles like Phoenix. Bill was finally able to go into battle lightly. He was still in the prime of his sports career, and perhaps he could "take back everything he lost with his own hands" like Brother Ma.

So, will someone call him again, "Better than the boss"?