D.J. Augustin 'would love to be back' in Chicago next season

To say D.J. Augustin reignited the Chicago Bulls' season would be an understatement.

In fact, teammate Joakim Noah has gone as far as claiming that he wouldn't have made the All-Star Game had Augustin not joined the Bulls.

Having fallen out of the Toronto Raptors' rotation early in the campaign, the Texas product was acquired by Chicago in mid-December. The Bulls had lost Derrick Rose for the remainder of the season, and while nobody expected Augustin to put up numbers resembling Rose's from 2010-11, he's played so well with his new team that he's a serious candidate for Sixth Man of the Year.

With things going well in the Windy City and his contract set to expire at season's end, Augustin is inevitably hoping that he'll be a member of the Bulls in 2014-15.

"I would love to be back here," Augustin told CBS Chicago. "This organization, this team is great, and I think it's great for me. (Thibodeau) has given me the opportunity to play and get better. It's been great for me."

Augustin's $650,215 salary seems like a steal considering his averages of 14.3 points and 5.1 assists since joining the Bulls. His above-average Player Efficiency Rating of 16.5 also bodes well.

It's safe to say that regardless of who Augustin signs with in the offseason, he'll be receiving a substantial pay increase.