Aron Baynes, who dreamed of a new contract in the NBA this summer, had to resign himself to returning to Australia. He accepted an offer from the Brisbane Bullets, in the NBL, for whom he should play while waiting for better.
The 35-year-old pivot does not lose sight of his goal. He has an exit clause in his contract in case an American team offers to sign him, from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. He can then return to the big league if he wishes and, above all, if the opportunity arises.
Earlier this month, Baynes held a workout in front of several NBA franchises in hopes of securing a new contract. He chained the shots with emotion, in Las Vegas, in a gymnasium filled with leaders present for the Summer League. Without success, apparently.
The Aussie didn’t receive any offers, while he was certainly expecting the veteran minimum. Given his situation, he no longer seems to be of interest to the league.
Few pure 5 positions still have a place in the NBA. Aron Baynes had developed a three-point shot during his time at Phoenix in 2019-20, but that didn’t last. His profile, too little mobile, no longer corresponds to contemporary standards.
The pivot will be able to try to prove his detractors wrong since the Australian championship. The NBL is closely watched by American scouts. He will have to show that he is really ready to return to the courts from this platform, for lack of anything better.
Baynes’ physical condition no doubt worries the front offices, too. Less than a year ago, he was found unconscious, bleeding, in the locker room of the Australian team at the Olympic Games. The veteran couldn’t walk for two months. He recovered little by little, working hard, in the hope of resuming his career.
Aron Baynes thought he ended up paralyzed: his scary story during the Tokyo Olympics