Former Coug Aron Baynes inks deal with Pistons

Former WSU basketball player and NBA champion Aron Baynes will have a new home in 2015-16 NBA season. Baynes agreed to terms with the Detroit Pistons July 2, the second day of free agency. ESPN's Marc Stein had the news first on Baynes' new three year deal, that is reportedly valued at $20 million over the course of the contract.

Baynes will leave San Antonio where he was a member of the Spurs the last three seasons. Baynes played in 70 games last season, starting 17, while averaging 6.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, all career highs. Baynes won a championship with the Spurs in 2014.

In his senior season at WSU the 6-foot-10 Baynes averaged 12.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game for the 08-09 WSU basketball team. Upon graduation he went to Europe where he bounced around multiple clubs until 2013 where a deal with the Spurs brought him back to the states.

Detroit is a good landing place for Baynes as he projects as Detroit's third big man. Power Forward Greg Monroe will not return to the Pistons next season so expect Baynes to slide into the rotation behind promising center Andre Drummond and sweet shooting forward Ersan Ilyasova.

In the last three seasons Baynes has brought his offensive game closer to the hoop. Per Basketball-Reference.com Baynes attempted 55.4 percent of his shots within three feet of the hoop in 2014-15, the highest mark of his career. Only 17.4 percent of his attempts came from outside of 10 feet from the hoop. This season, as he attempted more shots from closer in, Baynes had his highest field goal percentage of his career as he made 56.6 percent of his attempts.

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