Aron John Baynes (born 9 December 1986) is an Australian former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player. He played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for Washington State University before starting his professional career in Europe. In 2013, he joined the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

, and a year later, won an NBA championship with the Spurs. He has also played with the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

, Phoenix Suns and Toronto Raptors. In the National Basketball League (NBL), he played for the Brisbane Bullets between 2022 and 2024. Baynes also played for the Australian national team.

Early life

Baynes was born in

Gisborne, New Zealand Gisborne is a List of cities in New Zealand, city in northeastern New Zealand and the largest settlement in the Gisborne District (or Gisborne Region). It has a population of Gisborne District Council has its headquarters in the central city. ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

parents in 1986. His family moved to the small Australian town of Mareeba,

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

when he was three years of age. He grew up playing

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

Far North Queensland Far North Queensland (FNQ) is the northernmost part of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland. Its largest city is Cairns, Queensland, Cairns and it is dominated geographically by Cape York Peninsula, which stret ...

while attending Mareeba State High School until the age of 15 when his older brother, Callum, introduced him to basketball. As a result, Baynes decided to focus on pursuing a career in basketball and subsequently quit rugby league. Shortly after high school graduation, he joined the Australian Institute of Sport in 2004–05 and accepted a college scholarship offer from

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

to play for Washington State University in 2006. During his college career under Bennett, Washington State tied the school wins record twice consecutively, going 26–8 in 2006–07 and 26–9 in 2007–08.

Professional career

Europe (2009–2013)

On 29 May 2009, Baynes signed a two-year deal with

Lietuvos Rytas ''Lietuvos rytas'' (lit. 'Morning of Lithuania') is a Lithuanian daily newspaper. History and profile "Lietuvos rytas" was established in 1990 on a basis of newspaper "Komjaunimo tiesa". The paper is printed in Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is ...

of the Lithuanian Basketball League. In July 2009, he played for the Los Angeles Lakers' Summer League team. Following the 2009–10 season, he parted ways with Lietuvos Rytas. On 15 July 2010, Baynes signed a two-year deal with EWE Baskets Oldenburg of the German

Basketball Bundesliga The Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) (English language: ''Federal Basketball League''), for sponsorship reasons named easyCredit BBL, is the German basketball league system, highest level Sports league, league of professional club basketball in German ...

. In 40 games for Oldenburg in 2010–11, he averaged 6.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. On 29 June 2011, he parted ways with Oldenburg. On 24 August 2011, Baynes signed a one-year deal with Ikaros Kallitheas of the Greek Basket League. On 1 August 2012, Baynes signed a one-year deal with Union Olimpija of the Slovenian Basketball League. On 5 January 2013, he played his final game for Olimpija, as he later left the team in pursuit of an NBA contract.

San Antonio Spurs (2013–2015)

On 23 January 2013, Baynes signed with the

. In his second NBA game, Baynes recorded seven points, nine rebounds and one block in a 102–78 win over the Charlotte Bobcats. During the 2012–13 season, he was assigned multiple times to the Austin Toros of the

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the Minor league#Basketball, developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of ...

. He made his first NBA start in Game 4 of the Spurs' first-round playoff match-up against the Los Angeles Lakers, and was tasked with defending Dwight Howard. The Spurs went on to reach the 2013 NBA Finals but lost the series in seven games to the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...

Aron Baynes and Patty Mills in front of the ACT Legislative Assembly in July 2014

On 1 December 2013, Baynes was reassigned to the Austin Toros. He was recalled on 2 December, reassigned on 8 December, and recalled again on 9 December. On 6 May 2014, he recorded playoff career-high numbers of 10 points and seven rebounds in a 116–92 win over the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...

in Game 1 of the Western Conference semi-finals. Baynes went on to help the Spurs defeat the Miami Heat 4–1 in the

2014 NBA Finals The 2014 NBA Finals was the NBA Finals, championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2013–14 NBA season, 2013–14 season and the conclusion of 2014 NBA Playoffs, the season's playoffs, played from June 5 to 15, 2014. It ...

to claim his first NBA championship. On 26 September 2014, Baynes re-signed with the Spurs. On 20 December 2014, he scored a then career-high 16 points while starting in place of Tim Duncan in a 99–93 loss to the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...

. On 1 April 2015 and 3 April 2015, Baynes had back-to-back 18-point games.

Detroit Pistons (2015–2017)

On 12 July 2015, Baynes signed with the

. On 19 March 2016, he scored a career-high 21 points in a 115–103 win over the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...

. On 14 November 2016, Baynes scored 20 points against the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...

while starting in place of Andre Drummond. On 19 March 2017, Baynes grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds alongside 13 points in a 112–95 win over the Phoenix Suns.

Boston Celtics (2017–2019)

On 19 July 2017, Baynes signed with the

. In a game against the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...

, Baynes injured Celtics teammate and star

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the Basketball positions, five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position and is usually the shortest player ...

Kyrie Irving. On 8 November 2017, he matched his career high with 21 points in a 107–96 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. In the Celtics' regular season finale on 11 April 2018, Baynes led a short-handed Boston lineup with a career-best 26 points and 14 rebounds in a 110–97 win over the

. On 7 July 2018, Baynes re-signed with the Celtics. On 19 December 2018, in a 111–103 loss to the Phoenix Suns, Baynes broke a bone in his left hand. He was subsequently ruled out for four to six weeks. He returned to action on 16 January 2019 against the Toronto Raptors. On 3 February, he was sidelined with a left foot contusion.

Phoenix Suns (2019–2020)

On 6 July 2019, Baynes, along with the draft rights to Ty Jerome, was traded to the Phoenix Suns for a 2020 protected first-round pick. After Deandre Ayton was suspended for 25 games due to

diuretic A diuretic () is any substance that promotes diuresis, the increased production of urine. This includes forced diuresis. A diuretic tablet is sometimes colloquially called a water tablet. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics ...

usage on 24 October, Baynes was promoted to being the team's starting center during that period of time. On 30 October, Baynes recorded 24 points, 12 rebounds, and a career-high 7 assists in a 121–110 win over the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...

. On 6 March 2020, Baynes scored 37 points and hit nine three-pointers, both career-highs, along with 16 rebounds, in a 127–117 victory over the

. He not only tied a franchise record for most three-pointers made in a single game, but he also joins James Harden as the only other player to record 35+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 9 three-pointers in a single game. On 23 June 2020, the Suns reported that two of their own players tested positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

. In an interview on 22 July, Baynes revealed himself as one of the two players to test positive for COVID-19. Unlike his other teammate that tested positive, Baynes did not rejoin the team in the 2020 NBA Bubble until after the scrimmage games were finished, making sure he completely tested negative for the virus before entering the bubble. Because of his late entry and subsequent

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals, and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have bee ...

period, he was not able to play on 31 July against the Washington Wizards. After recovering from the virus, Baynes was later diagnosed with a right knee contusion, leaving him out of action for the rest of the resumed regular season. Despite being out of action for most of the game, Baynes was considered clear to play for the team's last game of the season, but decided against it despite the blowout 128–102 win over the

, ending the resumed season with an 8–0 record.

Toronto Raptors (2020–2021)

On 25 November 2020, the Toronto Raptors signed Baynes to a multi-year contract. On 31 January 2021, Baynes had eight points and a season-high 16 rebounds in a 115–102 win against the Orlando Magic. On 4 August 2021, he was waived by the Raptors.

Brisbane Bullets (2022–2024)

After suffering a career-threatening spinal cord injury during the Tokyo Olympics, Baynes returned to professional basketball by signing a two-year deal with the Brisbane Bullets of the National Basketball League on 28 July 2022. In a match on October 7, 2023, against Cairns Taipans, Baynes was handed a five-game suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct, unacceptable basketball act and excessive disputing following his ejection from the match. Despite being the highest paid player in the 2023–24 NBL season, at 37 years old, he averaged only 13 minutes a game over the first half of the season. On 17 October 2024, Baynes announced his retirement from basketball.

National team career

Baynes has played for the Australian national team, the Boomers, at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey, the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

in London, the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain, the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...

in Rio de Janeiro, and the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in China. Baynes was also part of the national team for the

2020 Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

in Tokyo, but a spinal cord injury ruled him out for the second half of the tournament as the Boomers went on to win the bronze medal. Baynes' injury at the Tokyo Olympics was much more serious than had initially been reported, and as of January 2022, he was still recovering with hopes of returning to the NBA.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

, 16 , , 0 , , 8.8 , , .500 , , .000 , , .583 , , 2.0 , , .3 , , .1 , , .4 , , 2.7 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#AFE6BA;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 53 , , 4 , , 9.3 , , .436 , , , , .905 , , 2.7 , , .6 , , .0 , , .1 , , 3.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 70 , , 17 , , 16.0 , , .566 , , .250 , , .865 , , 4.5 , , .5 , , .2 , , .3 , , 6.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, 81 , , 1 , , 15.2 , , .505 , , .000 , , .764 , , 4.7 , , .6 , , .3 , , .6 , , 6.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 75 , , 2 , , 15.5 , , .513 , , , , .840 , , 4.4 , , .4 , , .2 , , .5 , , 4.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, 81 , , 67 , , 18.3 , , .471 , , .143 , , .756 , , 5.4 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , .6 , , 6.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 51 , , 18 , , 16.1 , , .471 , , .344 , , .855 , , 4.7 , , 1.1 , , .2 , , .7 , , 5.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 42 , , 28 , , 22.2 , , .480 , , .351 , , .747 , , 5.6 , , 1.6 , , .2 , , .5 , , 11.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, 53 , , 31 , , 18.5 , , .441 , , .262 , , .707 , , 5.2 , , .9 , , .3 , , .4 , , 6.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 522 , , 168 , , 16.0 , , .489 , , .308 , , .794 , , 4.6 , , .8 , , .2 , , .5 , , 6.0

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

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, 4 , , 1 , , 5.8 , , .571 , , , , , , 1.3 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 2.0 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 14 , , 0 , , 7.2 , , .500 , , .000 , , .800 , , 2.2 , , .0 , , .2 , , .0 , , 2.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 4 , , 0 , , 10.0 , , .300 , , , , 1.000 , , 2.5 , , .3 , , .0 , , .0 , , 2.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 4 , , 0 , , 11.0 , , .444 , , , , .667 , , 2.0 , , .5 , , .0 , , .0 , , 2.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 19 , , 12 , , 20.5 , , .506 , , .478 , , .722 , , 6.2 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , .6 , , 6.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 9 , , 5 , , 12.8 , , .571 , , .333 , , .500 , , 2.8 , , .3 , , .3 , , .3 , , 2.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 54 , , 18 , , 13.2 , , .497 , , .433 , , .750 , , 3.6 , , .5 , , .2 , , .3 , , 3.6

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2005–06 , style="text-align:left;", Washington State , 28 , , 12 , , 16.5 , , .429 , , .000 , , .641 , , 4.1 , , 0.1 , , 0.2 , , 0.5 , , 5.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2006–07 , style="text-align:left;", Washington State , 26 , , 7 , , 16.4 , , .495 , , , , .646 , , 3.1 , , 0.1 , , 0.2 , , 0.4 , , 5.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2007–08 , style="text-align:left;", Washington State , 35 , , 34 , , 24.0 , , .600 , , .000 , , .660 , , 6.0 , , 0.3 , , 0.7 , , 0.7 , , 10.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2008–09 , style="text-align:left;", Washington State , 33 , , 33 , , 28.8 , , .580 , , 1.000 , , .774 , , 7.5 , , 0.6 , , 0.3 , , 1.3 , , 12.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 122 , , 86 , , 22.0 , , .546 , , .333 , , .698 , , 5.4 , , 0.3 , , 0.3 , , 0.8 , , 8.7

EuroLeague

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2009–10 , style="text-align:left;",

, 10 , , 8 , , 13.3 , , .511 , , .000 , , .643 , , 3.0 , , .2 , , .4 , , .9 , , 5.5 , , 3.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2012–13 , style="text-align:left;", Union Olimpija , 10 , , 10 , , 26.2 , , .587 , , .000 , , .698 , , 9.8 , , .5 , , .5 , , .5 , , 13.8 , , 18.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 20 , , 18 , , 19.8 , , .562 , , .000 , , .684 , , 6.4 , , .4 , , .5 , , .7 , , 9.7 , , 10.6

References

External links

* an
EuroLeague
an
Washington State Cougars
* *
Aron Baynes
at the 2012 Australian Olympic Team (archive) * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Baynes, Aron 1986 births Living people 2010 FIBA World Championship players 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup players 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup players 21st-century Australian sportsmen Austin Toros players Australian expatriate basketball people in Canada Australian expatriate basketball people in Germany Australian expatriate basketball people in Greece Australian expatriate basketball people in Lithuania Australian expatriate basketball people in Slovenia Australian expatriate basketball people in the United States Australian Institute of Sport basketball players Australian men's basketball players Australian people of New Zealand descent Basketball players at the 2012 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 2016 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics BC Rytas players Boston Celtics players Brisbane Bullets players Centers (basketball) Detroit Pistons players EWE Baskets Oldenburg players Ikaros B.C. players KK Olimpija players Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics NBA players from Australia Olympic basketball players for Australia Olympic bronze medalists for Australia Olympic medalists in basketball People from Mareeba Phoenix Suns players Power forwards San Antonio Spurs players Sportsmen from Queensland Sportspeople from Cairns Sportspeople from Gisborne, New Zealand Toronto Raptors players Undrafted NBA players Washington State Cougars men's basketball players

Early life

Professional career

Europe (2009–2013)

San Antonio Spurs (2013–2015)

Detroit Pistons (2015–2017)

Boston Celtics (2017–2019)

Phoenix Suns (2019–2020)

Toronto Raptors (2020–2021)

Brisbane Bullets (2022–2024)

National team career

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

College

EuroLeague

See also

References

External links