Goodbye, Larry Sanders

According to reports, Larry Sanders is no longer a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. Sanders is said to have agreed to the long-touted buyout deal proposed to him by the Bucks, and if he goes unclaimed through waivers will become a free agent.

From violations of the league’s substance abuse policy, to his own well documented personal issues, this particular outcome was a long time coming. Sanders’ mind just doesn’t seem to be in a place where basketball is a priority right now, and it was clear that it was the right decision for both parties to go their separate ways.

Sanders was owed $36 million for the remainder of his contract, but according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, he eventually settled for considerably less:

That has considerably reduced the potential cap implications of the move to cut Sanders, and should provide Bucks fans with great relief.

Enough about the present though, let me take you back a little bit to figure out just how we got here.

It’s mid-August, 2013 in Milwaukee. The late-summer sun burns hot on fair goers, the crack of the hardball rings through the thick air at Miller Park, and the beer flows like champagne. The Milwaukee Bucks’ disappointing first round playoff exit has long been forgotten.

Monta Ellis bolted town months ago, J.J. Reddick is breaking in his new digs in L.A. and Brandon Jennings was shipped away for a third year point guard from Kentucky remembered most for getting killed by DeAndre Jordan than any of his own on court heroics. Fan interest has reached an all-time low, and the Bucks bolting town looks more like an inevitability.

The Bucks franchise needs a hero — a star that fans and players can rally around.

Brandon Jennings looked to be that star, but made it very clear Milwaukee wasn’t where he wanted to play (leading to a sloppy divorce). With Monta Ellis and Tobias Harris also long gone, the Bucks looked to their eccentric, long center Larry Sanders.

Sanders had just turned in a career season that turned the trajectory of his career from “bust” into “star”. Or at least a “star” by Milwaukee’s standards–who haven’t had an All-Star since Michael Redd in 2004.

Larry Sander’s 2012-13 campaign saw him emerge as a league-leading shot blocker, spawning the nickname “The Blocktopus”. Deservedly so. His 2.8 blocks per game helped Sanders climb to #7 in defensive player of the year voting. But it was his youth (24), palpable passion and energy that endeared him to Buck’s fans.

Without hesitation John Hammond handed him a 4-year contract extension worth 44 million. The vast majority of Buck’s fans praised the move–he could only get better from here, right? At 24 there would be many ways he could improve his game, starting with low-post moves. But a contingent of fans warned against the move. To them he never showed the ability to carry a team to success and was the second coming of Dan Gadzuric–good, but not quite deserving of his big contract.

In a town where a player’s willingness to play means almost as much as his talent Larry Sanders was doing all the right things. Before the ink was dry on the contract Larry issued this statement:

"“It’s official..can’t believe I’ve been granted this opportunity to represent Milwaukee for the next 5 years and hopefully the rest of my career. Words can not explain my gratitude for the @bucks organization and the faith in me as a leader and a worker..I won’t let you down Mil-town..see you in the BC!!! #letsgobucks #bucknation #buck4life”"

The Bucks and their fans had finally found their man.

It was only three games into the 2013-14 season that Larry Sanders let “Mil-town” down though.

Known for his emotion on the court it came as little surprise that Sanders had a similar off-court temperament. His involvement in a Nov. 3rd bar-fight led to criminal charges, and most importantly–an injured thumb that would require surgery and six weeks to recover from.

The Bucks lost eleven of their next twelve games, going from playoff hopeful to bottom of the barrel Eastern Conference joke. Larry Sanders, who was deemed a franchise-player months ago could only sit and watch as the league’s worst team got slaughtered night after night.

To make matters worse relocation talks were beginning to heat up and pressure was mounting for Senator Herb Kohl to sell the team.

Without Larry Sanders on the floor the fans had no one they recognized–sure Brandon Knight was somewhat effective, but his size, style, name, and position all harked back to that other Brandon–the last supposed savior. There was that rookie from Greece who was more famous for his hand size and entertaining name than basketball skills, potential be damned.

When Sanders returned from his thumb injury on Dec. 27, 2013 the Milwaukee Bucks were 6-23 and completely in the tank. Though the season was already lost, perhaps Sanders would be able to reconcile his personal demons and begin to accept his role as a leader and a worker. The Bucks would only win two out of the next twenty with Larry on the court, who looked nowhere near the player he was last season, let alone a franchise cornerstone.

More recently through his continuing run of regrettable issues, the Bucks began to thrive though. They have been incredibly short-handed up front, but who cares, they just get on with it, that’s the mentality of this new Bucks team.

So here they are, heading for the Playoffs, with about as minimal a contribution as possible coming from Sanders. There was only going to be one next step, and it leaves only one word coming to mind to describe the whole situation: sad.

We would have loved you Larry Sanders, but you left us in that all-too-familiar place as Buck’s fans…let down.

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