Just a couple days after the Boston Celtics acquired Marcus Morris from the Detroit Pistons via trade, they’ve signed Aron Baynes to a one-year deal.
The Boston Celtics have added another former Detroit Pistons’ player to their roster just days after trading Avery Bradley and a 2019 second round draft pick for Marcus Morris. On Sunday, the Celtics signed Aron Baynes to a one-year, $4.3 million contract.
Baynes opted out of his $6.5 million player option with the Pistons on June 20th. A year after the NBA enjoyed a salary cap boom and a robust market for free agent centers, Baynes hoped to capitalize on the financial explosion. Unfortunately, the cap dropped by $2 million, and that wasn’t announced until the next day.
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Ultimately, that drop from a projected $101 million to a reduced $99 million number may have cost Baynes, as the market was unfriendly to free agent centers. As a result, Baynes stands to lose about $2.2 million this season.
It might not be all bad for him, however. The Celtics are an undersized team who suffered from a rebounding deficit last season, and Baynes may have the opportunity to start or at least play an increased role with his new team.
Baynes’ numbers don’t jump off the box score, averaging just 4.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game (and 11.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per 36 minutes), but he was quietly the Pistons’ most effective defender last year.
Relevant to the interest of my #Celtics friends: Y'all got a good one in Aron Baynes. pic.twitter.com/GM5zbJQNaS
— Duncan Smith (@DuncanSmithNBA) July 10, 2017
On a team that struggled to rebound and defend down low, Aron Baynes will be most welcome.
More than just his defense will be missed in the Pistons locker room. “Aron is a true winner every day,” Stanley Johnson told me. “Whether it be practice, games, lifting or anything else. He’s an amazing teammate.”
Next: Pistons bid farewell to Marcus Morris
With any luck, Baynes will have the ability to stand out on a team that badly needs his services and he’ll be able to more than recoup this season’s lost salary next year.