Orlando Magic: Grading their free agency moves so far
By Luke Duffy
D.J. Augustin
With the Magic drafting Anthony the writing appeared to be on the wall, and late last week it was confirmed that point guard D.J. Augustin was departing for the Milwaukee Bucks. This is one of the rare occasions where everybody wins, and as already talked about here, it was the right time for Augustin to leave the franchise.
He departs as somebody who will always be remembered fondly by fans. In years to come there may even be a D.J. Augustin night, and if he comes back to watch a game or two you better believe he will be shown multiple times on the big screen and have footage of him in a Magic jersey pumped around the arena.
As a starter, and then as a backup to Markelle Fultz, Augustin did everything asked of him for the Magic. He steadied the ship and was the best player they had had at that position since franchise icon Jameer Nelson, going as far as to hit that shot against the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 playoffs.
Now he gets to leave on great terms, instead of sticking around for three more seasons and deteriorating in front of fan’s eyes, all while blocking the progress of Fultz and Anthony. They are clearly the future, and Augustin was the perfect choice to be in control in the interim, to hand over the reigns to Fultz while still being on the roster.
With the Bucks, Augustin will get to compete for championships, which he deserves. He is not a great defender and is undersized even for the point guard position, but being around Giannis Antetokounmpo hides so much of other player’s inefficiencies.
Augustin will be a great addition off their bench for a period, although at 32 signing him for three years may be a season too long. It is also ideal that the Magic didn’t have to consider having him stick around for that long. A career 37.9 percent 3-point shooter, his shooting will be missed in Orlando, and used gladly in Milwaukee. This was the perfect time for Augustin to move on.