Denver Needs To Re-sign D.J. Augustin

Free agent D.J. Augustin played a key role on the Denver Nuggets’ bench last season. Here’s why they need him back.

One of them is a former All-Star and has valuable playoff experience, including a trip to the NBA Finals. The other is a journeyman trying to find a place to call home after playing for seven different teams in his eight years in the league.

Both were great options as a backup and mentor to Emmanuel Mudiay last season and would still be beneficial as the now sophomore player looks to build on a successful rookie campaign.

But even with a number of roster spots available, it is likely that only one of Jameer Nelson and D.J. Augustin will remain with the Denver Nuggets next year. Both have expressed interest in staying, but the deciding factor could be who ultimately earns the second point guard spot on the depth chart and gets more playing time as a result.

In an interview earlier with the Denver Post’s Chris Dempsey, Nelson admitted that he wouldn’t hesitate to ask for a trade if he doesn’t get more playing time. After playing in 38 games through January this past season, Nelson was sidelined by a wrist injury for eight games in February.

By the time he was cleared to play again, Augustin had come in and completely taken over the role. Nelson played a mere seven minutes the rest of the season.

Nelson has a leg up as he is already under contract whereas Augustin is an unrestricted free agent. Though Denver has expressed interest in retaining Augustin, the veteran remains skeptical after going through three other summers of free agency.

"“You never know what can happen,” he said, also in an interview with Dempsey. “I’ve been promised things in the past, and it didn’t come true. I’ve had my hopes up in the past and things didn’t happen.”"

The Nuggets need to do more than just talk the talk with Augustin, though. He should be re-signed first thing, even if it comes at the expense of Jameer.

General manager Tim Connelly got a pretty good glimpse of how both players fit into the current system under coach Michael Malone this past season. Nelson performed admirably in the first half of the year, but Augustin straight up nailed his audition in the second half after being traded over:

Augustin’s raw numbers are better, but more importantly they are better where Denver needs it most. Last season the Nuggets were 27th in the league in three-point shooting at just 33.8 percent and 21st in overall field goal percentage. Augustin was the best three-point shooter on the Nuggets at 41.1 percent. Nelson, on the contrary, shot a very poor 29.9 percent.

Not only was Augustin a great shooter, but he was also a critical spark off the bench, especially late in games. On March 2 against the Lakers, Augustin had a season-high 26 points on 7-of-11 from the field, including 3-of-3 from three. Twenty-two of those points came in the fourth quarter, changing an otherwise close game to a huge Nuggets win in Kobe Bryant’s last hurrah at Pepsi Center.

Four days later against Dallas, Augustin was a non-factor until he erupted in overtime, scoring the last eight points by draining two three-pointers and knocking down two free throws with 0.9 seconds remaining to steal the win.

In his short time in Denver, Augustin fit in effortlessly with the bench unit, which was the second-highest scoring in the NBA. Individually he scored double figures in 18 games as a Nugget compared to just four while in Oklahoma City.

From a basketball standpoint, it makes sense to stick with Augustin. Nelson is still a great player, but the energy Augustin brought and the success he had with the second unit in such a short time is not worth giving up. Plus, Augustin is only 28 years old; Nelson is 34. If he’s re-signed, Augustin could be a quality backup for years to come.

That isn’t to say the decision will be easy. Nelson is rightfully credited with the huge change in the locker room, shaping the Nuggets’ culture from being the joke of the NBA last year to a respected unit this year. His professionalism and respect for the game is why Connelly traded for him in the first place and for that reason alone many are rightfully begging for Nelson to remain.

But it’s not like Augustin is a locker-room cancer or doesn’t get along with his teammates. He’s already said he loves the organization and coaching staff, and heading into his ninth season he would be the most experienced player on the team (assuming Mike Miller doesn’t return). He would still be a great mentor and locker room presence for Mudiay and the rest of the younger players.

Nelson does have an impressive playoff resume, playing with Orlando in the NBA Finals in 2009. This experience could prove invaluable for a young team trying to crack the top eight in the Western Conference for the first time in years. However, Nelson only played in the Finals that year — he missed the first three rounds due to injury — so his resume is a bit misleading.

Overall he has played in 44 postseason games, though, so he certainly doesn’t lack experience.

Augustin has some solid playoff experience of his own. He’s played in 28 playoff games and was a member of the Pacers team in 2013 that took eventual champion Miami to seven games in the Eastern Conference finals. He was also on Charlotte’s first playoff team in their second go-around in 2010. He too knows what it takes to get a team to the postseason and would provide valuable insight for the young players.

In the end either of these guys would make a positive impact on the team next year. Of course, Tim Connelly would almost certainly like to have both of them back but if Augustin is re-signed it would be hard to justify him playing less than Nelson.

The good news is that it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a suitor for Jameer. He’s an experienced veteran that still has a few good years on him and would be a good compliment for a contending team. He’s scheduled to make $4.5 million next season, which with the salary cap increase is almost nothing. The Nuggets are in a position to make a splash this summer and will be involved in lots of rumors – Nelson could be an excellent option in a trade package should he request to play elsewhere.

The other good news is that it shouldn’t cost much to take Augustin back. The nine year veteran minimum is only $1,410,598 but the Nuggets reportedly have a $3.9 million free agent cap hold for him as well. With the Nuggets cap room finding enough money to ink him for a good deal shouldn’t be hard.

Regardless of what happens, the Nuggets’ backup point guard situation is another sign of a bright future ahead. But given how well he performed this season, not re-signing D.J. Augustin would be a huge mistake.