Aron Baynes agrees to a 1-year deal with the Boston Celtics

Former Detroit Pistons backup center Aron Baynes has signed with the Boston Celtics on a one-year, $4.3 million deal, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.

This must be a disappointment for Baynes, who opted out of the final year of his contract with the Pistons that was set to pay him $6.5 million. The expectation was that he would fetch a larger, longer contract but the market dried up fast this year.

Not only is he getting less money, but he’s stuck with a one-year deal and must try his luck again next offseason. The big upside, of course, is that he gets to play, and could start, on a team that is competing for a trip to the NBA Finals.

Many players, including former Piston Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, expected to get a large payday based on the spending that occurred last offseason. With a salary cap that is $10 million lower than anticipated a year ago, it was pretty clear that there would not be as much silly money handed out to free agents.

Player still got signed to huge contracts, of course, like Steph Curry, Blake Griffin, and, uhhhh, Tim Hardaway Jr., but many free agents did not see the same money.

Baynes will be a solid addition to the Celtics. They are a team in need of a big that can play solid defense and grab rebounds. It would not surprise me to see him start with Al Horford at the four.

Baynes averaged 5.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game during his two-year Pistons tenure (11.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per 36). He did the dirty work like setting solid screens and playing good defense. There were times last year when he was the best center on the roster. The Pistons were 11.2 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor compared to him on the bench, and he held opponents to 46.6 percent shooting at the rim.

He embodied “Detroit Basketball” through and through, and he will be missed. Good luck in Boston Aron Baynes! Your goofy hair and gritty play will be missed.