The Detroit Pistons have signed Aron Baynes to a three-year deal that can be worth to as much as $20 million, Marc Stein of ESPN reports.
Baynes had a career-best season last year as he averaged 6.6 points and 4.5 rebounds in just 16.0 minutes per game. He is the second big man released by the San Antonio Spurs since the start of free agency in hopes to free up cap space and lure LaMarcus Aldridge. This contract seems to be a lot when analyzing what type of player Baynes is, but the Pistons look to plan on using him to play an important backup role to center Andre Drummond. Baynes has improved since first joining the Spurs, as he has shown he has the ability to score inside and hit the 15-foot jumper. With Monroe inking a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks earlier on Thursday, the Pistons took a hit to their depth in the frontcourt, so they are hoping Baynes will step in and produce as much as he did for the Spurs. In reality, Baynes is already 28-years old, so there isn't a whole lot of room for development, he is what he is. The thing to watch out for is how the Pistons will use him in comparison to the Spurs. Gregg Popovich's system usually makes players look better than they actually are. Detroit has a very young and talented team that includes Drummond, Reggie Jackson, and their first-round pick Stanley Johnson. If Stan Van Gundy can figure out a way to use all these guys effectively, Baynes would be a good option off the bench to relieve Drummond and keep production at a high level.