Get to know new Bucks point guard D.J. Augustin
The Milwaukee Bucks had a busy offseason, changing up their roster after their run in the 2019-20 playoffs ended abruptly in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
One of the underrated moves of Milwaukee’s offseason was signing D.J. Augustin. He’ll be tasked with giving Milwaukee depth behind newly acquired guard Jrue Holiday, similar to what George Hill provided for Eric Bledsoe over the past two seasons.
Before he suits up in a Bucks jersey for the first time, get to know Augustin:
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COLLEGE
Rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals, Augustin committed to Texas and played two years for head coach Rick Barnes and the Longhorns. As a freshman, he played alongside Kevin Durant, leading Texas to a 25-10 record and a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, the Longhorns lost 87-68 in the second round to Taj Gibson and the USC Trojans.
Instead of entering the NBA draft with Durant, Augustin stayed one more year at Texas. It was worth it. Augustin started all 38 games in 2007-08 and averaged 19.2 points, 5.8 assists and 1.2 steals per contest. He led Texas to the Elite Eight — one of seven regional final appearances in program history – but the Longhorns were defeated 85-67 by Derrick Rose and the Memphis Tigers.
PRO CAREER
Augustin was selected by the Charlotte Bobcats with the No. 9 overall pick of the 2008 draft. He was named to the league’s All-Rookie second team in 2008-09 after logging 11.8 points and 3.5 assists per game for Charlotte. In four seasons with Charlotte he averaged 10.9 points and 4.4 assists per contest while shooting 3s at a 37.4% clip.
He became an unrestricted free agent in 2012. Augustin would go on to play for six different teams over the next four seasons — Indiana, Toronto, Chicago, Detroit, Oklahoma City and Denver. Augustin was waived by Toronto in 2013 and was traded twice — once by the Pistons to join former college teammate Durant with the Thunder in 2015, and again the next season to the Nuggets.
Looking for stability heading into the 2016-17 season, Augustin signed a four-year deal with the Orlando Magic. He played 291 contests (150 starts) for the Magic and logged 10.1 points, 4.1 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game while shooting 38.8% from deep.
Augustin has made five trips to the postseason but has advanced past the first round just once. That was with Indiana in 2012-13 when the Pacers fell in seven games to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals. Augustin played in all seven games and averaged 2.4 points in 14.1 minutes per contest.
CONTRACT
Augustin signed a three-year deal worth $21 million with Milwaukee, although the third year of the deal is not guaranteed. If Augustin sticks around for all three seasons, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent after the 2022-23 campaign.
PERSONAL
Augustin’s full name is Darryl Gerard Augustin Jr. He grew up in New Orleans, but Hurricane Katrina forced his family out of their home in 2005. Augustine’s family moved to Texas, and he finished his high school career as a senior at Hightower High School in Missouri City, Texas.
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Augustin is a father of three kids and has a fourth on the way.
He made headlines in March 2020 by his generous donation to Krewe of Red Beans in his hometown of New Orleans, a group that delivered food from local restaurants to healthcare workers battling the coronavirus on a daily basis.
Although Augustin’s stay with Orlando in the NBA bubble was ended by Milwaukee in the first round of the postseason, he made the most of it. The point guard played golf for the first time and now can’t get enough of it.
“I’m addicted now, man,” Augustin said in a video. “I watch YouTube videos and everything now trying to get my grip and my swing right.”
You can follow Augustin on Instagram (@djaugustin) and Twitter (@augustinDj14) as well as subscribe to his YouTube channel.
