With the regular season drawing to a close, the Houston Rockets are signing veteran guard D.J. Augustin for the remainder of 2022-23 in order to reply with NBA roster rules, according to ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
Augustin, now 35-years-old, most recently played for the Rockets during the 2021-22 season where he averaged 5.4 points and 2.2 assists in 15.0 minutes per game. Augustin was waived by the Rockets in Feb. 2021 before the journeyman signed a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
For the Rockets, signing Augustin isn't a major addition in terms of what he provides for the team on-the-court. Though a heady and savvy player with 14 seasons worth of NBA experience, Augustin's most reliable contribution will likely be as a 3-point threat, as he shoots 38.1 percent from 3-point range for his career.
In 34 games with Houston in 2021-22, Augustin shot 40.6 percent from 3 on 6.8 attempts per game. Furthermore, in the nine games he played in which he was on the court for at least 20 minutes, Augustin averaged 9.4 points per game while shooting 59.2 percent from the field and 59.0 percent from 3.
Currently, the only depth that Houston has behind starting guards Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green are inexperienced players in TyTy Washington, Daishen Nix, and Josh Christopher. However, while the trio of young guards has earned some trust from Rockets head coach Stephen Silas throughout the season, none of them are reliable outside threats.
That fact alone could see Augustin having a legitimate role for the team.
Furthermore, though Augustin isn't a high-volume facilitator, he still has the know-how needed to put his teammates in the right position. In the Rockets 2021-22 training camp, his basketball IQ and steadiness allowed him to stand out on a young team.
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