Aron Baynes officially re-signs with Celtics

We knew this was coming, but with the moratorium over, the Boston Celtics have officially announced the return of Aron Baynes:

Al Horford is excited. In the press release, Danny Ainge says, “Aron was a big part of our success this past year and we’re thrilled to have him back. He’s a great teammate and an anchor to our defense. The energy and passion that he brings to the table are contagious.” After last season ended and Baynes’ return was unclear, Brad Stevens commented that “he has, in a lot of ways, just a spirit about him that you want your team to embrace. His work ethic, his every day mentality. He brings just a juice every single day.”

Baynes could have potentially made more money, but his team-friendly contract allows the Celtics to pursue other free agents with the full MLE and if that exception isn’t used, it’s possible that Boston avoids the luxury tax and being hard capped (depending on what happens with Marcus Smart). However, because he re-signed with his non-Bird Rights, he’ll have a no-trade clause next year.

His impact can not be measured in traditional counting statistics. He averaged nearly 6 and 6 in the regular and post season, but he started 67 games for the Celtics to keep Horford out of the 5 spot and absorb minutes against Eastern Conference bigs like Jonas Valanciunas and Joel Embiid. Even in a league that is straying away from big lineups, Baynes plays a crucial role in Boston’s championship aspirations. He’s also spent the summer at Gordon Hayward’s daughter’s birthday party and living in Embiid’s head.