Aron Baynes faces uncertain NBA future following neck injury

The news isn’t good for Boomers big man Aron Baynes, who has arrived back in Australia from the Tokyo Olympics.

Boomers big man Aron Baynes faces an uncertain playing future, with a neck injury threatening to sideline him for the entire 2021-2022 NBA season.

Baynes, who is also a free agent after being waived by Toronto, arrived home to Brisbane on Tuesday from Australia’s Olympic campaign in Tokyo on a stretcher.

It comes after the veteran centre sustained a neck injury during the Boomers’ group stage win over Italy that ruled him out for the rest of the Olympics.

Baynes’ injury was made considerably worse when he slipped and fell in the team bathroom.

He remained in a Tokyo hospital for the remainder of the Olympic campaign, prompting his teammates to FaceTime him when they won the historic bronze medal.

Baynes’ neck injury was originally expected to sideline him for a “few weeks”, but the injury is thought to be more significant than initially diagnosed, with major nerve damage.

This means he could spend a large chunk of time on the sidelines.

Patty Mills holds a bronze medal for injured Aron Baynes Picture: Adam Head

To further complicate matters, Baynes is without a playing contract after being waived by Toronto following a frustrating season where he averaged 6.1 points and 5.2 rebounds over 53 games (31 starts).

The Raptors signed him to a two-year deal but after waiving him his contract for the looming season will not be guaranteed.

Baynes still has plenty left based on his form at the Olympics and would be a solid signing for any NBA team as a reliable big who can also shoot from range.

First things first, though, he needs to regain his health before he can focus on his next career move.

Baynes was averaging 9.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game for the Boomers at the Tokyo Olympics before suffering his neck injury.

“I am really disappointed that I can’t continue in the Olympics,” Baynes said at the time.

“I along with the rest of the team have been working so hard in our quest for a historic Olympic medal, and I am gutted that I can’t complete the journey with the boys, but I have every confidence that they will get the job done.”

Aron Baynes faces an uncertain future. Picture: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images