Tag: DJ Augustin

DJ Augustin returns to Rockets, impressed by Kevin Porter Jr.’s evolution as point guard

“The way he slowed down his game and his pace, you can see that it is opening things up for him more,” DJ Augustin says of Kevin Porter Jr.’s growth as a point guard. #Rockets

After 13 years in the NBA, veteran guard DJ Augustin had called it a career. Although the man who made Houston his adopted hometown had not officially made a retirement speech or submitted paperwork to the league, Augustin was content being at home with his family.

A former first-round pick in the 2008 NBA draft by Charlotte, Augustin played portions of two seasons with the Rockets after being traded from Milwaukee in March 2021 as part of the PJ Tucker trade. He was waived by Houston in February 2022 and was claimed by the Lakers, where he played 21 games to end the 2021-22 season.

“I was done playing,” said Augustin, a point guard, as he prepared for Friday’s home game versus Detroit. “I had a few teams calling, but I was pretty much just at home with my family, being a dad. I was still working out and doing things, but for the most part, being on a team, I wasn’t trying to go anywhere.”

Only one team could get Augustin to give up “Daddy Duties” and return. “The only situation I was willing to go to was Houston,” said a smiling Augustin. “Not thinking it would happen, and one day I got the call. That is how life is sometimes. I am just happy to be back.”

That call came from Rockets general manager Rafael Stone while Houston was in the middle of a five-game road trip in late March. During his first stint in Houston, Augustin averaged 7.3 points and 2.8 assists per game, but his main objective was to help Kevin Porter Jr. transition into a starting point guard, a position he was still learning.

Before the 2021-22 season, Augustin had noticed the work Porter had put into becoming better at his new position in the offseason.

“He is just trying to put it all together,” Augustin said of Porter’s transition. “Switching positions and becoming a point guard ain’t easy. It is not something that you can just do all the time.”

During his time away from the game, Augustin noticed that Porter had finally started evolving from a natural scorer to a team leader.

“I have been watching his whole season,” Augustin said of Porter. “The way he slowed down his game and his pace. You can see that it is opening things up for him more. He knows when to use his body and control the game and be a real point guard. I am happy to see him do that, and he is growing a lot.”

Porter’s growth and maturity have been displayed over the four games that Augustin has been on the bench and in the locker room with him. He is averaging 24 points per game, including back-to-back 30-plus point games. His 33-points, four steals, and seven made 3-pointers in Friday’s victory against the Pistons put him in some elite company. The only other Rockets player to perform that feat was former NBA MVP James Harden, who did it four times in Houston.

“It is good to have DJ back, because he is a player who has played my position for a very long time, and he shows and tells me different things I may not see,” Porter said. “He has a great approach to how he sees the game and breaks it down in a way that can be easily explained. It is good to have him back.”

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Rockets sign veteran guard DJ Augustin for rest of season

To comply with the NBA’s roster requirements, the #Rockets are signing veteran point guard DJ Augustin for the remainder of the 2022-23 season.

To comply with NBA roster rules, the Houston Rockets are signing veteran point guard DJ Augustin for the remainder of the 2022-23 season, as first reported Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

After their February trade deadline moves and subsequent buyouts, the Rockets dipped below the league’s required number of 14 players on standard contracts. Those exclude two-way deals.

For limited windows of up to two weeks at a time, teams can dip below 14 players. After the first window, the Rockets signed veteran Willie Cauley-Stein to a 10-day deal, which they chose not to renew. That reset the two-week clock until Wednesday’s expiration.

The 2022-23 season ends for the Rockets on Sunday, April 9, which is only two-and-a-half weeks away from Wednesday’s news. Thus, Augustin is likely to be their last roster move prior to the offseason.

Now 35 years old, Augustin played with the Rockets during portions of the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, which gives him some familiarity with both the locker room and head coach Stephen Silas. A respected veteran floor general and locker-room presence, Augustin averaged 7.3 points (39.7% on 3-pointers) and 2.8 assists in 17.1 minutes per game with the Rockets.

Augustin, who hasn’t played for any NBA team this season (he last played for the Lakers in 2021-22 after being bought out by the Rockets), joins second-year guard Daishen Nix and rookie TyTy Washington as backup options behind Kevin Porter Jr. at point guard.

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Rockets release Armoni Brooks, DJ Augustin to complete Dennis Schröder trade

Houston is reportedly releasing Armoni Brooks and DJ Augustin to finalize the multi-player Dennis Schröder trade with Boston.

To complete the multi-player transaction bringing veteran guard Dennis Schröder from Boston to Houston at the NBA’s 2022 trade deadline, the Rockets are releasing Armoni Brooks and DJ Augustin.

To help match salaries and reduce their financial obligations, Boston attached sparingly used reserves Enes Freedom and Bruno Fernando to the trade that brought them Daniel Theis. Since the Rockets were then taking three players in the deal and sending out only one, two had to be released in order for the trade to be finalized.

However, the Rockets have already made it clear that Freedom will be quickly waived, and it’s possible that others in the deal could be as well. Since all are on expiring contracts, there are no long-term salary consequences if they do so, and it’s not as if the rebuilding Rockets (15-39) are trying to make a playoff push this season.

Thus, if Augustin and Brooks clear waivers — and Augustin, in particular, is almost certain to since his current salary of $7 million is higher than the cap space available to most teams — Houston could ultimately choose to bring them back, should both sides agree on a reunion.

Neither Augustin nor Brooks had been a consistent rotation player in recent weeks, and with both having little-to-no money guaranteed after this season, they were the obvious candidates to waive from the current roster. (The majority of players are already under contract for 2022-23.)

Augustin, a 34-year-old veteran point guard, averaged 5.4 points (40.6% on 3-pointers) and 2.2 assists in 15.0 minutes. Brooks, a 23-year-old wing prospect with shooting potential, averaged 6.2 points (30.0% on 3-pointers) and 2.0 rebounds in 16.8 minutes per game.

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Report: Rockets veteran DJ Augustin viewed as likely buyout candidate

Veteran guard DJ Augustin has fallen out of Houston’s rotation in recent weeks, which could make a contract buyout more likely than a trade. The move would then free up a roster spot.

Veteran guard DJ Augustin is viewed around the NBA as a likely candidate to become a free agent in the coming weeks after having his contract bought out by the Houston Rockets, per Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.

The steady rise of rookie guard Josh Christopher ultimately bumped Augustin from Houston’s rotation, and entering Tuesday, the 5-foot-11 floor general had only played in one game out of the team’s prior nine.

At 34 years old, Augustin clearly doesn’t fit with the rebuilding timeline of the Rockets, and he’s effectively in the final year of his contract — with only $333,333 guaranteed for the 2022-23 season.

Assuming the Rockets are unable to trade Augustin by Thursday’s deadline for in-season deals, there’s not much incentive to keep him around longer, considering that he is likely to become a free agent in the 2022 offseason, anyway. Moreover, his vacated roster spot could then be used to potentially evaluate a younger player from the NBA G League who might be in better alignment with Houston’s organizational timeline.

From the other perspective, with Augustin no longer playing for Houston and poised to become a free agent, there doesn’t seem to be much of a reason for any team to trade value for him — since they could simply wait a few days and sign him, instead. Thus, a buyout seems inevitable. However, it makes sense for Rockets general manager Rafael Stone to wait until after the Feb. 10 trade deadline, just in case Augustin’s $7-million cap figure is needed to help match salaries in a larger transaction.

In portions of two seasons in Houston, Augustin has averaged 7.3 points and 2.8 assists in 17.1 minutes, and he’s shooting 39.7% on 3-pointers.

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Final 2022 NBA All-Star votes for the Houston Rockets

Four NBA players voted reserve guard DJ Augustin as an All-Star, while John Wall — who has yet to play this season — also had a player vote. Here’s a rundown of how all Rockets fared.

Entering Friday, the Rockets (14-34) possessed the worst record in the Western Conference. Thus, in a rebuilding season, it should come as no surprise that Houston’s young squad will not have a player representative at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game.

Nonetheless, in a hybrid format weighting votes from fans, a media panel, and players, the Rockets did still have many players receiving votes. Fans accounted for 50 percent of the vote to determine the starters, which were announced Thursday, while players and media accounted for 25 percent each. Reserves will be named next week.

Though no Houston player received votes from the media panel, it’s become clear over the years of this voting process that many fans and players will go by personal favorites, rather than true basketball merit. Even John Wall, who has not played in a single game this season as part of a mutual decision, received votes from fans and even a player!

Here’s a rundown of how each Houston player fared in regards to votes from fans and players (none received any from media).

2022 NBA trade deadline updates: Latest Houston Rockets rumors

Who’s staying with the Rockets, and who’s going? As the NBA’s Feb. 10 trade deadline nears, here’s the latest updates on John Wall, Eric Gordon, Christian Wood, and beyond.

With a record at the bottom of the Western Conference, the young and rebuilding Houston Rockets clearly aren’t traditional buyers as the NBA’s Feb. 10 trade deadline for the 2021-22 season approaches.

Yet, they aren’t obvious sellers, either.

Nearly all of the marquee veterans they currently have under contract are on the books for 2022-23, as well. Thus, even though Houston clearly isn’t making a playoff push this season, it’s not as if they have to make a move or risk losing those players for no compensation.

General manager Rafael Stone could explore the offseason trade market with those players, or he could keep many of those veterans around in an effort to help bolster the development of Houston’s young core (i.e. Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Kevin Porter Jr., and beyond) — and perhaps bring some extra wins in the 2022-23 campaign.

Moreover, an aggressive move to add a player (such as a franchise centerpiece) can’t be ruled out, either. Houston isn’t likely to add a big-name veteran of significant age, given its lowly record, but expect Stone to explore any opportunities to add younger difference-makers who could potentially grow with the existing core in the years ahead.

This continually updated post will offer a one-stop shop for the latest trade rumors and tidbits surrounding many players on the current roster, as well as any reported interest by Stone in players elsewhere.

(Last updated: Wednesday, Jan. 26)

Rockets veterans Daniel Theis, David Nwaba, DJ Augustin reportedly drawing trade interest

Rockets veterans Daniel Theis, David Nwaba, and DJ Augustin (to a lesser extent) are drawing trade interest ahead of the Feb. 10 deadline, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

As the 2021-22 NBA season has progressed, the Houston Rockets have increasingly boosted the playing time of younger players as part of their rebuilding push. For the time being, that has pushed veterans like Daniel Theis, David Nwaba, and DJ Augustin out of the rotation.

That does not mean, however, that those players would not have value elsewhere. Kelly Iko of The Athletic reports:

It’s more likely Houston does a smaller-scale deal around the margins prior to the trade deadline. Teams have expressed interest in acquiring veterans Daniel Theis and David Nwaba ahead of the Feb. 10 deadline, sources tell The Athletic. With the Rockets having their full roster healthy, both Theis and Nwaba have been on the outside looking in on head coach Stephen Silas’ rotation. Both players have value to older, more established teams looking for deep playoff runs, something Houston can’t offer at this juncture. There has also been some interest in backup point guard DJ Augustin, sources tell The Athletic, albeit to a lesser degree.

All three players are on reasonable contracts, which can be matched by many teams in hypothetical trades. Theis has a guaranteed deal through the 2023-24 season at an average of about $8.7 million per season, while Nwaba is owed just under $5 million for this season and next.

Augustin, who is more of a defensive liability than the other two but a superior 3-point shooter, is owed $7 million this season and has an extremely miniscule guarantee of approximately $300,000 for the 2022-23 season — effectively making him an expiring contract.

Theis and Nwaba are 29 years old, while Augustin is 34. Between the limited upside associated with those ages and the fact that all three players are currently out of Houston’s rotation, the potential trade return for any or all of them is not likely to be significant.

Nonetheless, since Houston has already traded away its 2022 and 2023 second-round draft picks, the opportunity to potentially recoup one of those assets could tempt general manager Rafael Stone. If not traded, Augustin would seem to be a potential candidate to have his contract bought out, since he’s basically in the final year of his deal.

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Trade deadline data: Houston Rockets player salaries for 2021-22, future seasons

With the Feb. 10 trade deadline rapidly approaching, here’s an updated look at who the Houston Rockets have on their salary books — and for how long.

With the Feb. 10 trade deadline for the 2021-22 NBA season rapidly approaching, here’s an updated look at who Houston has on its salary books. This list includes recent signings such as Trevelin Queen and no longer includes Danuel House Jr., who was waived in December.

As of Jan. 15, Garrison Mathews is the only player on the Rockets who is not eligible to be traded by the deadline. That’s because his new standard contract was not signed until late December.

As a result, general manager Rafael Stone heads into the deadline period with substantial flexibility. With the Rockets in the middle of a clear rebuilding program, they’re in a clear spot where veterans like Eric Gordon, Daniel Theis, David Nwaba, and perhaps even John Wall could be sent elsewhere to teams with more of a win-now emphasis.

Courtesy of the HoopsHype salary database, here’s a look at who Stone has on Houston’s books entering the Feb. 10 trade deadline. This list is sorted by annual salary, ranging from the most to the least.

Since nearly all NBA teams or at or above the salary cap during the season, teams have to send out close to much money in deadline trades as they take in, owing to the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

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Garrison Mathews happy to be back in Rockets’ lineup after protocols stint

“In the fourth quarter, I started feeling it a little bit,” Garrison Mathews said of his return. “When you take seven days off, your conditioning starts to wear down a little bit towards the end.”

With the way the season is going for the Houston Rockets, it seems as if there is a player or players on the team every game being welcomed back into the lineup. Houston has had multiple players out of its rotation of late due to injuries, health and safety protocols, or suspensions.

Most recently, Rockets forward Garrison Mathews and guard DJ Augustin were re-inserted into the rotation Monday in Philadelphia.

Both players had been out of the lineup since the end of December after being placed in the NBA health and safety protocol due to COVID-related issues. Even though the Rockets were happy to have both players back in the lineup, Mathews’ 3-point shot was clearly missed most.

Mathews was eager to get back on the court after being isolated at home.

“Boring,” said Mathews about how his time was away from the team. “Just laying on the couch, watching TV, playing with my dog, that was about it.”

After a scorching start in the first half, scoring 17 points to give the short-handed Rockets a one-point advantage over the 76ers at halftime, Mathews cooled down in the second half after fatigue began to set in after having such a lengthy layoff. He finished the game with a team-high 23 points, making 4-of-8 shots (50%) from beyond the 3-point arc.

“In the fourth quarter, I started feeling it a little bit,” said Mathews, who tied his season-high scoring total in Monday’ return.

“Having six, seven days off, it’s hard to take that many days off and come back and get right to it. My body felt fresh. It wasn’t sore like it was before. It was good to have a few days off, but when you take seven days off, your conditioning starts to wear down a little bit towards the end.”

Mathews, who signed a four-year contract with the Rockets back in December, said postgame that he was frustrated during his personal hiatus by just watching and not being able to play. However, he did take time to watch film on how to get better on the defensive end of the court.

“I try to pay attention to defense more than the offense, because that is what I try to focus on to be different,” Mathews said. “So just watching different guys in the league and watching their tendencies.”

On Wednesday, the Rockets wrap up a two-game road trip in Washington before heading back to Houston for a three-game homestand.

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Garrison Mathews, DJ Augustin exit health and safety protocols; Armoni Brooks enters

Garrison Mathews and DJ Augustin are back with the Rockets after missing four games due to health and safety protocols. However, Armoni Brooks is now entering the protocol.

The Rockets enter Monday’s game at Philadelphia with seven straight losses, but they do have at least some roster reinforcements on the way. Garrison Mathews and DJ Augustin, who missed each of Houston’s last four games due to the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, have been cleared and are no longer on the team’s injury report.

However, reserve sharpshooter Armoni Brooks — who started in Saturday’s second half versus Denver after Kevin Porter Jr.’s halftime outburst — is now unavailable due to his own protocols stint. While there is no immediate timetable for Brooks’ return, each of Houston’s four players to enter the protocol since Christmas has rejoined the team in less than a week, presumably due to the NBA’s recently relaxed rules.

Mathews and Augustin are two of Houston’s best perimeter shooters, with 3-point percentages of 37.0% and 41.3%, respectively. Only Eric Gordon, who is questionable for Monday’s game with right hamstring tightness, has a higher clip (44.7%) among rotation players.

A 6-foot-5 wing, Mathews also offers value to the Rockets in terms of defensive length and a willingness to draw charges.

If Gordon is unavailable, Mathews appears likely to start for Houston at the small forward spot. If Gordon plays, Mathews would presumably come off the bench. As a point guard, Augustin might also find an increased short-term role if Porter is disciplined for his recent antics.

Tipoff between the Rockets and 76ers is set for 6:00 p.m. CST.

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