DJ Augustin to Magic: Contract Details, Comments, Reaction

D.J. Augustin experienced a late-season revival with the Denver Nuggets following a midseason trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he reportedly parlayed that strong showing into a new deal with the Orlando Magic. The Magic announced the news on July 7.  

Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical first reported the news on July 1, and ESPN's Chris Broussard added he inked a four-year contract worth $29 million.

Augustin mustered 15.3 minutes per game with the Thunder before getting dealt, but he quickly found his form after arriving in Denver. Over the course of 28 games in new surroundings, Augustin averaged 11.6 points and 4.7 assists in 23.5 minutes per night. 

The Nuggets were also noticeably more efficient with Augustin on the floor. According to NBA.com's stats database, Denver posted an offensive rating of 107—the Toronto Raptors ranked No. 5 overall in the league with a season-long offensive rating of 107, as a point of reference—which was 5.4 points better than the team's mark when he sat. 

"I was in a tough situation in Oklahoma," Augustin said, per the Denver Post's Christopher Dempsey. "It wasn’t working out. I did the right thing, my agent did the right thing, and talked to those guys and they were kind enough to trade me, trade me to a good situation. Everything worked out."

Catch & Shoot	Catch & Shoot 3s	Pull-Up	Pull-Up 3s
44.4%	45.2%	39.1%	35.3%

Still just 28 years old, Augustin proved toward the end of the 2015-16 season that he's capable of producing like a quality backup point guard.

However, his defense is lacking. The Nuggets allowed a horrid 109.1 points per 100 possessions with Augustin on the floor, which was 2.7 points worse than the team's season-long tally. 

But as far as low-risk, relatively low-cost signings go, Augustin is a strong one. And if he can continue to hit threes at close to a 41 percent clip the way he did during his stint with the Nuggets, Augustin could prove to be a steal.

Augustin can play both guard positions, so he figures to receive plenty of playing time for a Magic team that lacks a high-quality backcourt.

Elfrid Payton figures to remain the starting point guard, while Mario Hezonja is in line to start at shooting guard after Orlando dealt Victor Oladipo to Oklahoma City.

Augustin may be the Magic's sixth man off the bench and an occasional starter when the situation calls for it. If he produces anywhere close to the level he displayed last season in Denver, then the Magic took a big step toward addressing one of the their biggest problem areas.

Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com unless noted otherwise.