As NBA Free Agency Fever rumbles along, Aron Baynes has become the first Boomer to benefit confirming to Basketball Australia that he will be leaving the San Antonio Spurs for the Detroit Pistons next season.
“I’m really excited to have the opportunity to play with Detroit,” the 28-year-old said. “I can’t wait to work with the great coaches and players already at the club. We are going to surprise some people.”
The Pistons will finalise the agreement on July 9 when the moratorium is lifted. Baynes is the first player the team has added in Free Agency.
US-based network ESPN broke the news in the early hours of Friday morning, Australian time, with reporter Mark Stein reporting that the deal between Detroit and Bayes worth US$20million-plus over three years with the 2014 NBA Championship-winner allowed to return to free agency after two years.
Baynes’ agent, Daniel Moldovan said that the deal was just reward having made his NBA debut in 2013 with the Spurs after four years in Europe.
“Aron has come a long way in the last few years,” Moldovan told Basketball Australia. “He had a great experience with a first class organization in San Antonio and this is another exciting step in his career. I’m happy that he is being rewarded for all his hard work and dedication.”
Baynes is coming off a career-best season, averaging 6.6 points and 4.5 rebounds.
Read more about Aron Baynes here.