Raptors Waive D.J. Augustin

The Raptors have waived D.J. Augustin, the team announced. The move is a precursor to the completion of the seven-player trade Toronto and the Kings agreed to last night. The deal left the Raptors with 16 players, forcing them to drop one before the swap becomes official. Augustin signed a one-year, $1.267MM deal in the offseason, and since it’s fully guaranteed, his cap hit will remain on Toronto’s books.

The move spares Dwight Buycks and Julyan Stone, who also appeared candidates to be cut. Stone might have made the most sense, since his partially guaranteed contract for the minimum salary has in essence become non-guaranteed, but he remains, as does Buycks, who also makes less than Augustin. There was “no chance” the Raptors would let go of Stone, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.

It’s been a tough comedown for Augustin, the ninth overall pick in the 2008 draft who turned down an extension from the Bobcats a couple of years ago, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer notes (on Twitter). He underperformed after signing a one-year, $3.5MM contract with the Pacers last season, and was averaging just 8.2 minutes per game in 10 appearances for Toronto this year.

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