Chad Baker-Mazara has entered the transfer portal, likely ending his Auburn basketball tenure. Amidst the highly publicized Nico Iamaleava saga, a disparity in NIL negotiations has been confirmed to be the reason.
The Next Round Live's Ryan Brown believes that, beyond money, what Baker-Mazara gave up with Bruce Pearl is invaluable.
“One reason it worked is because his coach allows his players to be who they are. Bruce Pearl is not a guy that says, ‘You gotta come in and fit in a box,'" Brown said.
"They let their guys be who they are. Chad Baker-Mazara is not going to find that everywhere.”
Baker-Mazara was gracious in his statement announcing his transfer portal entry.
"First I wanna thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to do what I love but I wanna thank my teammates, coaching staff and the Auburn Family for the incredible support for this past two years! With this been said I would be entering the transfer portal," CBM tweeted. "Gracias Auburn!"
Baker-Mazara was a key piece on a Final Four team that now must replace its entire starting five. His departure, in particular, if/when made official, will leave a major emotional hole in Pearl's rotation.
Of course, the disciplinary issues that plagued his tenure will not necessarily be missed. A large number of fans gave plenty of patience to CBM, who was as fiery as he was flagrant foul-prone, and are now watching him find a new home because of financial differences. Going to an SEC program like Kentucky, Ole Miss, or, God forbid, Alabama, would make him somewhat of an instant villain.
We'll see what CBM settles for money-wise. It's unfortunate that he's leaving a program that allowed him to be himself; sometimes at the expense of the team.