Baynes averaged 5.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 51 appearances with Boston in 2018-19. A reserve for most of last season, Baynes started 18 games for Boston and saw his per-game averages rise to 6.7/5.9/1.2 in those contests. He reached double figures eight times and finished last season with three double doubles. Baynes also added a three-point shot to his offensive repertoire, attempting a career-high 61 threes in 2018. He knocked down 34.4 percent of those three-pointers while shooting 47.1 percent from the field -- a mark equal to what he posted in 2017-18. Baynes also posted an effective field-goal percentage of 51.8, good for the second-best mark of his career. He missed a large chunk of the regular season due to a broken hand that required surgery but returned in time for the playoffs, where Baynes averaged 2.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per game over nine appearances. Playing behind Al Horford, Baynes averaged the second-highest per-game minute total of his NBA career with 16.1. His 0.7 blocks per game also represented a career-high for the 32-year-old. Baynes particularly enjoyed playing on Friday, as his per-game averages spiked to 8.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists over 10 contests landing on that day.

With the Celtics in 2017-18, Baynes played in 81 of 82 games for the second time in the past three years. Baynes made 67 starts for Boston, logging four double-doubles in addition to a pair of games in which he finished with at least 20 points. Baynes' best effort of the season was a monster 26-point, 14-rebound game in a win over Brooklyn in the regular-season finale on April 11. Baynes posted that line in just 20:48 worth of action. Baynes' play also translated into the playoffs. Baynes suited up in all 19 of Boston's playoff games, receiving double-digits in minutes in all but one. Over the course of Boston's seven-game Eastern Conference Finals series, Baynes played 21.3 minutes per game while chipping in 5.3 points and 6.1 rebounds. He also nailed 11 three-pointers in those 19 playoff contests. His best playoff performance was during the clinching Round 2 game against the 76ers. Baynes played 25 minutes, posting 13 points (5-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), nine rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Baynes entered his second season with the Pistons with some increased competition for post minutes. Not only did Andre Drummond return, but Detroit also added both Jon Leuer and Boban Marjanovic via free agency. While his numbers dipped slightly when it was all said and done, Baynes still recorded a few personal milestones on the season. Despite dealing with back tightness and suffering a broken nose in the preseason, Baynes was still ready for the regular-season opener Oct. 26, collecting eight points and three rebounds in a loss to Toronto. He saw double-digit minutes in every game through November, with the highlight of that stretch coming in a Nov. 14 victory over the Thunder. Baynes started that contest in place of Drummond, and racked up 20 points and eight rebounds. He continued in his role as a reserve big man but had a small setback in the form of an ankle injury that cost him two games in early January. Baynes was back in good form by March, however, recording his first double-double March 15 in a loss to Utah. Just two games later, Baynes set a career high with 17 rebounds in his second double-double of the season. While there were a few bright moments, Baynes ultimately sat out the last five games of the year with the Pistons in rebuild mode and wanting to get a look at younger talent. He finished the year with averages of 4.9 points and 4.4 rebounds across 75 games.

Baynes signed with the Pistons in July, setting the stage for his first NBA season outside of San Antonio. He also underwent ankle surgery in the offseason, but he was back in time for preseason action in mid-October. He made his Pistons debut Oct. 27 against the Hawks, picking up six points and five rebounds across 11 minutes. Baynes continued to serve as a reserve big man, averaging 5.7 points and 4.5 rebounds through 53 games leading up to the All-Star break. In the second half, he set a new career high with 21 points (8-13 FG) during a March 19 victory over Brooklyn. He made his first and only start with Detroit that year in the regular-season finale on April 13, collecting 14 points and five rebounds in a victory over Cleveland. At the conclusion of the regular season, Baynes just missed a new career-best scoring average, putting up 6.3 PPG. He did set a new career high in rebounding (4.7 RPG), which was the fifth-best mark on the team. He and the Pistons made it to the postseason as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they were swept in the first round by the Cavaliers. Baynes appeared as a reserve in all four of those games, collecting 10 points and eight rebounds overall.

After playing with Australia in the 2014 FIBA World Cup, Baynes returned to the U.S. and signed a new contract with the defending NBA champions. In what would be his best NBA season to date, Baynes made his first start of the year Nov. 5 against the Rockets, taking the place of Tim Duncan. He made the most of that opportunity, recording his first career double-double with 12 points (4-10 FG, 4-5 FT) and 12 rebounds. Baynes made just one more start for the rest of November, but reached double figures six total times on the month. He started in place of Duncan once again Dec. 1, scoring a career-high 15 points in that contest. Baynes set another career high later that month with 16 points against the Mavericks. He continued from there as a key reserve, even starting seven times in eight games during a stretch in February. His momentum was derailed a bit in March when he missed five games due to bruised ribs and ankle trouble, but he returned to finish the year strong. Baynes set new career highs when he scored 18 points in back-to-back games to start the month of April, and averaged 10.9 points through eight April games (four starts). Baynes finished the regular season with new career highs in scoring (6.6 ppg) and rebounding (4.5 rpg). He appeared in four postseason games, but the Spurs were ultimately eliminated by the Clippers in a seven-game series in the first round.

Despite an offseason hamstring injury that cost Baynes the 2013 FIBA Oceana Championships, Baynes was ready to go by the time Spurs camp started for the 2013-14 season. Early on, Baynes was often subject to an unpredictable Spurs rotation, recording seven DNPs in the month of November. He even spent two brief stints with the Austin Torreros of the NBA D-League, but was back with the Spurs on Dec. 9 and never looked back. In fact, he set a career high with 14 points (7-9 FG) in his first game back on Dec. 10, helping the Spurs in a win over Toronto. Baynes proceeded to make his first career start Dec. 19, collecting two points and three rebounds across nine minutes on the floor. He ultimately made three more starts on the season, including back-to-back games to end the year. Baynes played a total of 53 regular season games in his second NBA season, but was limited a bit in the second half due to both rib and knee injuries. For the season, Baynes averaged 3.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per contest. He also appeared in 14 of San Antonio's 23 postseason games, chipping in 2.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per postseason contest. His best playoff showing was the opening game of the Round 2 Portland series, where he put up 10 points and seven rebounds in 15 minutes. Baynes and the Spurs went on to win the 2013 NBA Championship, defeating the Miami Heat in five games.

Baynes had a four-year collegiate career with Washington State that ended in 2008-09, but went overseas after graduation to spend time in various European leagues. He last played for Union Olimpija of the Slovenian league before signing with the Spurs on Jan. 23, 2013. Baynes then made his NBA debut Jan. 25 against Dallas, but saw less than a minute on the court. A few days later, he scored seven points and recording a season-high nine rebounds in a Jan. 30 matchup against Charlotte. Over the next few months, as Baynes was moved back and forth between the Spurs and the Austin Toros of the D-League. He ended up seeing 11 games total with the Toros, averaging 13.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per D-League contest. He ultimately appeared in 16 regular-season games for the Spurs. Baynes returned to the the team for the NBA postseason, appearing in all four games of the opening round sweep of the Lakers. He even started Game 4, collecting six points and two rebounds across 16 minutes. Baynes was then a healthy scratch for the remainder of the postseason, and San Antonio went on to lose to the Heat in the NBA Finals.