Celtics Must Re-Sign Aron Baynes

Aron Baynes took a gamble on himself and was rewarded with a major role on a championship-contending team.

The Australian big man declined his $6.5 million dollar player option last summer, reliving him of his contract with the Detroit Pistons. Once he hit the open market, the Boston Celtics inked the center to a $4.2 million deal.

Sacrificing $2.3 million to play with a contender, Baynes became a key figure in the Celtics’ playoff run—playing a bigger role than anyone could have imagined. He started in 12 of Boston’s 19 postseason contests, after earning the starting nod in 67 of the 81 regular season games he appeared in. The Celtics employed a small-ball lineup in the games he did not start, sliding Al Horford from the four to the five position.

The Celtics were the No. 1 defense of the 2017-18 season, thanks in large part to Baynes. He had the top-ranked defensive rating on a team that surrendered just 97 points per 100 possessions. Baynes didn’t just top the Celtics’ marks—he had the best individual defensive rating in the entire NBA.

Aron Baynes manned the middle for the Celtics all season. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Baynes recorded career highs in minutes (18.3), rebounds (5.4) and assists (1.1).

Guarding the paint and providing elite rim protection all season, Baynes earned a spike in minutes (20.5 per contest) in the postseason. He was excellent defending Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

And seemingly out of nowhere, Baynes became a knockdown three-point shooter.
In six seasons in the NBA, Baynes had made only four three-pointers. But this postseason, he showed a willingness to drop back behind the arc and fire away from deep. He attempted 23 three-pointers and made 11. His 47.8 percent mark was the second-best among all players who attempted at least 20 3’s this postseason.

The Celtics’ first priority this offseason will be to re-sign Marcus Smart, a restricted free agent. They will look to keep the core intact for a team that reached Game 7 of the Conference Finals, despite season-ending injuries to All-Stars Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving, and backup center Daniel Theis.


Aside from Smart, Baynes is the only key rotation player that is not under contract for the Celtics. Assuming another team doesn't throw ridiculous money at the free agent center, the Celtics have no excuse not to lock up the put-together big man—whose defensive prowess and toughness are unmatched—for its title conquest next season.