Utah Jazz coax Aron Baynes out of retirement
Aron Baynes is allegedly retired. That’s fine. So was Darren Collison. So was Jay-Z before he dropped Kingdom Come. As a general rule, anyone who retires before the age of 40 should be treated with a degree of skepticism.
We haven’t seen Baynes since last season, when he suited up in 53 games for the Toronto Raptors. Admittedly, he didn’t make the impact Raptors fans were hoping for. He began the year in the starting lineup before getting waived mid season.
Luckily, the Utah Jazz wouldn’t be looking for a starting, or even backup center, in Aron Baynes. They’d be looking for a temporary solution, and he should be able to offer one. Last season, Baynes averaged 12.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per 75 possessions for the Dinos. His -1.1 Defensive Box Plus/Minus (DBPM) was subpar, but also well off his sturdy -0.1 career mark.
Similarly, his 26.2% accuracy from downtown was less impressive than the 35.4% he hit over 2019-20. Still, he offers a semblance of floor spacing in addition to conventional big man skills. That’s a wrinkle Quin Snyder has not featured in this season’s attack, as both Rudy Gobert and Hassan Whiteside are non-spacers.
Utah Jazz fans shouldn’t stress his subpar performance on defense and from three-point range last season. This is a 10-day contract. Baynes would have virtually no chance of extending his tenure in Salt Lake City with Gobert and Whiteside already on the roster. This would be short-term relief for the team, and a league wide audition for Baynes.
It’s a long shot. Baynes suffered an injury this offseason that’s supposed to keep him on the sidelines throughout 2021-22. The Jazz should at least pick up the phone and see if his recovery might be ahead of schedule.