Ranking 7 worst Raptors starters of the Kyle Lowry era
By Tyler Watts
2. Aron Baynes
Baynes did not come to the NBA until he was 26 years old but had four years of professional experience playing in Europe after his college career. Technically, he never landed in Toronto. Baynes signed a contract with the Raptors in 2020, but the pandemic prevented them from playing in Canada. They had a makeshift home in Tampa, Florida for the season.
It would be Kyle Lowry’s ninth and final year with the team and a massive disappointment. The Raptors won just 27 games and snapped their streak of seven consecutive seasons reaching the playoffs. It was their lowest win total since 2012 and the eighth-lowest winning percentage in franchise history.
Baynes got a career-high $7 million for the 2020-21 season, but the 34-year-old did not provide a massive boost. He was coming off a career year in Phoenix, but it proved unsustainable as his minutes and production dipped in Tampa. Baynes averaged 6.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 18.5 minutes per game in what would turn into his final NBA season.
The 6’10 big man suffered a scary injury at the Tokyo Olympics that left him unable to walk for weeks. Baynes recovered and is back playing basketball in his native Australia, but the 36-year-old had a rough stint with the Raptors that likely closed his NBA career.