NBA Draft 2019: Top 25 undrafted players since 2000

Aron Baynes was a solid player at Washington State, starting in his final two seasons that included 12.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a senior. It wasn’t enough to get him drafted, but he lucked up getting signed by Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs. He was on the bench the first couple of seasons, but did win an NBA Finals in 2014 with them.

After having his best season up to that point in year three at San Antonio, Baynes signed with the Detroit Pistons for two years and $12 million. He became a solid backup for the Pistons as a primary reserve and a reliable option.

But it was with the Boston Celtics where his name became more nationally known. He ended up starting 67 games on the surprisingly good Celtics team. He scored just 6.0 points per game and averaged 5.4 rebounds per game, but he did fit head coach Brad Stevens’ system very well. Baynes had a similar role this past season and refined his game, making 21-of-61 3-point attempts.

Baynes has benefitted from having great head coaches throughout his career, between Tony Bennett in college to Popovich, Stevens and Stan Van Gundy in the NBA. But he also forced his way into the rotations on some very good teams, adding a ring to his pro resume. He’s never been the most talented big man, but he earned both the respect and playing time of some of the best in the sport.

Career stats (427 games): 5.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 0.7 assists per game