Robert Covington
Everybody wants a piece of Robert Covington. (His presence as the shiniest prize of this deadline is probably the telltale sign that it will be devoid of any seismic moves). While flawed, Covington fits into most team constructs.
He’s limited as a ball-handler and creator, but what he can do, he does at a high level. He’s a prototypical 3-and-D wing – the archetype that’s become en vogue in recent years – who has proven his worth playing next to superstars, an essential trait if he’s to be the difference-maker for a serious title contender.
But Covington’s contract – a very affordable $24 million the next two years after this one – may be the impediment to any deal. Because of this bargain deal, Minnesota has set the asking price relatively high for a player with his skill set. There was a report that they set the bar at two first-round picks, which seems unlikely, but may also just be their way of setting the market to extract maximum value for their guy.
The other issue is that Minnesota will likely just keep him if they don’t get the offers that they feel are fair. He’s young and, as we’ve noted, fits nicely on just about any team, including the one that he’s currently on.
The Rockets sound very, very interested, but their attempt was reportedly rebuffed by the Warriors. (Even as the worst team in the league, the Dubs are still a threat to Houston’s title chances.) There was reportedly a deal in the works that would’ve sent Covington to Houston, Capela to Atlanta, and a bevy of picks to Minnesota, which they would then attempt to use to lure D’Angelo Russell to town. It sounds good in theory, but apparently Golden State backed out.
The thought of a Kawhi/PG/Covington wing rotation is downright scary for the rest of the West. The Clippers seemingly have the ammo to get a deal done here. Moe Harkless is on an expiring deal that is exceedingly tradable, while they could also include Jerome Robinson – disappointing so far, but still young – and their first-rounder this year.
Technically, if you still view Robinson as a first-rounder, this matches Minnesota’s asking price. But Robinson hasn’t performed up to his draft slot and their first-rounder this year is likely to fall in the 25-30 range. This may be the best that they can ultimately get for Covington, but they’ll take it down to the wire to see if anything better materializes.
The Nuggets and Mavericks should also seriously check-in on Covington.