Detroit Pistons: Aron Baynes declines player option, will be unrestricted free agent
By Zac Snyder
In an unsurprising move, Detroit Pistons backup center Aron Baynes has reportedly declined his player option and will become a free agent.
It was considered a bit of a stretch when the Detroit Pistons gave Aron Baynes a three-year deal approaching $20 million when they signed him two summers ago. However, the addition quickly proved shrewd. So shrewd, in fact, that it made it unlikely Baynes would opt in to the final year of the contract at $6.5 million for the 2017-18 season.
Baynes had indicated some uncertainty recently, but the ultimate decision is not surprising as Baynes has reportedly officially declined his player option. The Vertical’s Shams Charania broke the news on Twitter Tuesday morning.
Sources: Detroit center Aron Baynes has declined his $6.5 million player option to become an unrestricted free agent.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 20, 2017
The decision was so expected that the Pistons went about preparing for it a year ago by signing Boban Marjanovic. As a third center, Marjanovic didn’t see much of a role off the Pistons bench last season but is in line for a bigger workload with Baynes likely to sign for bigger money elsewhere.
As the holder of Baynes’ early Bird rights, the Pistons could re-sign him to a richer contract while being over the salary cap. However, the cap on what the Pistons can offer as early Bird rights offer may not be enough compared to what Baynes can get on the open market and the Pistons aren’t in a position where it makes sense to make use of the freedom to exceed the salary cap on a backup center, especially with Marjanovic already in the fold.
Next: 10 Best Rivalries in Detroit Sports History
While the Baynes news was expected, it serves as an unofficial start of the Pistons offseason. Next up is the NBA Draft on Thursday night.