(The Ringer) Rockets seriously interested in Robert Covington trade

Lol it’s kind of amazing how consistently wrong Icewill36 and JW86 are. If you inversed the calls they have made, you’d have a better track record than Daryl Morey.

 

Covington for the Lakers would be perfect, more defense and lenght would make them more scary, Kuzma on that team is bound to be a bobby Jackson kind of player, coming of the bench to make shots, which is still ok, but defense will be key in the playoffs.

 

huh?? what value do u see in kuzma, cook, cousins?? cook shouldn’t even be in the nba and cousins has had 3 near career ending injuries plus a domestic violence case.

this is basically a straight up kuzma for covington trade with additional unwanted baggage to take up roster spots. so basically minny would be getting hosed by accepting a dime for a quarter and also would have to clean up the lakers mess.

another goddam trade rumor spilled out by the lakers to up their shitvalue assets.

 

This exactly. This trade is Covington for Kuzma and filler.

 

kuzma getting shipped off to minnesota is funny after all that **** talk about how being in LA is end all.

and especially considering new orleans >>>>>>>> minneapolis for a pro athlete

 

covington has got to be one of the most overrated defenders in the league and his offense is basura. the lakers need another playmaker more than anything. another 3&D guy isnt going to help them against the clippers. i wouldnt give up a good young prospect making less than 2 mil for him.

 

considering the eyetest and numerous metrics say otherwise and defensive 1st team accolade, I'd say you're wrong here but hey that's no surprise

 

Covington better than Kuzma, especially on team contending now.

Boogie may be done if hes being included in this deal and it's still not enough, how the mighty have fallen.

 

he didnt look so hot on D when we dropped them by 30

do you want to trade clint? thats the only way

 

Not the only way. Read the article.

I thought 6 steals was pretty hot. Harden goes for 60 easily if Covington wasn't on him.

 

Covington got smoked by harden for me st part but he still played the quiet we’ll considering he only kept harden to 32

 

can you post said article?

 

Harden only scored 32 because he only played 3 quarters. I felt the same Covington played him alright but Harden got the better of him. He is still would be a good addition. Or Melton oh wait we traded them both

 

Covington and Igoudala are not the answer.

We need to pick up 2 under the radar/cheap rotational players that can be a part of our rotation.

Pretty sure Morey has his sights and will surprise us.

 

tilman is that you

 

@xiki


Typically, when James Harden has the ball in the left corner and a defender dead-to-rights, it’s curtains.

Normally in such instances, the defender will be right up under Harden, close enough to tell what product he used in his beard that morning, but not close enough to make an impact.f

Because Harden is such a vaunted offensive player, he has the ability to create space out of thin air. His elite footwork allows him a number of options, even in tight spaces. He can either step back into a 3-point attempt – he’s shooting 40 percent on such shots- or he can find the tiniest of angles to create his own driving lane.

With 4:53 left in the first quarter, Minnesota’s Robert Covington found himself in such a situation — a date with Harden in the left corner.

Harden, dangling the ball in front of Covington, began a series of jabs and body feints trying to get Covington to bite, or to at least show his hand. Covington, a premier defender and rising household name, refused to budge. His eyes were zeroed in on the basketball.

Harden, realizing even his quick feet wouldn’t give him enough space to get a good 3-point shot off, put the ball on the ground and drove towards the basket. In these situations, even thinking a half-second ahead can save you and instincts have to take over. Covington shifted his body toward the right, forcing Harden to the right as well — toward the baseline, and more importantly in the direction of Covington’s help. Naz Reid simply had to stand still and vertically contest, and the shot never even hit the rim. A 24-second turnover.

“His defensive instincts, especially when we have him guarding a number of forwards tonight,” Wolves head coach Ryan Saunders said. “We (also) put him on some wings. When he’s on that backline, he’s able to make some reads and get his hands on some loose balls.”

In the grand scheme of things it was a simple play, but this was a foreshadowing of the impact Covington would have.

On Houston’s next possession, Harden tried to get the ball up ahead to Eric Gordon, who was nearing the wing past half court. It’s a pass Harden connects on 95 percent of the time. The remaining 5 percent? That’s where Covington lives, able to pick off the pass at its lowest point before heading the other way and drawing a foul.

 

The next play was more disruption. Covington was once again defending Harden at the top of the key and watched as Harden passed it to Gordon. As Gordon began his drive on Josh Okogie, Covington stepped out briefly to swipe at the ball, causing Gordon to stumble and fall and eventually cough up possession.

A few plays later, it was Covington again breaking up a Harden pass, swooping in for another steal. Harden called for screen after screen, trying to get Covington off of him, but to no avail. It was a defensive clinic from Covington, showcasing his full repertoire of talents. Strength to shade Harden and prevent off-ball cuts and Westbrook assists. Length to poke the ball loose and force jump balls. Quickness to swat a Westbrook attempt at the rim after he had already punished rookie Jarrett Culver.

Covington forced an eye-opening six turnovers out of Harden, each one more impressive than the last. He would finish with six steals in the first half. Steals aren’t always the best indicator of impressive defense — simply because not all steals are created equal — but all steals are a result of some sort of good defense. The problems Covington caused all share a common trait: tendencies.


“Attention to detail,” Covington told The Athletic about how he defends Harden. “I’ve played with Harden, I’ve watched a lot of film. It’s just knowing I’m a defender, and like you said, paying attention and watching film, tendencies, and stuff.”

“His length,” Saunders added in what helps Covington. “His size, his ability to contest. He’s a tough cover, James is, but Robert is a guy who’s been around him and forced him into some tough looks at times.”

Seven years into his career, Covington has established himself as one of the league’s premier 3&D players. He combines a nice blend of size, strength, length, and smarts that allow him to guard ball-handlers, wings, forwards and bigs. He’s certainly come a long way from his rookie season, a tough time in Houston where he often impressed coaches in practice but never to an extent to get him on the court for serious minutes, averaging just under 5 minutes per game. It’s been quite the journey from benchwarmer to defensive anchor, but Covington admits it has been more of a mental victory than just improving as a player.

“Because I utilize my length,” Covington told The Athletic. “My attention to detail. It’s just a pride thing. Overall, that’s kind of how I survived in this league. I was given the challenge many years ago, and I upheld it and surpassed it. My mentality is always to be proving doubters wrong. That was one of the knocks on me, so I proved that wrong. Now, look at me.”

His versatility is also a reason for an increased interest in him league-wide. I recently spoke to an Eastern Conference scout who highlighted the importance of 3&D players in championship pursuits. “He’s a veteran wing who can stretch the floor,” the scout said of Covington. “It’s easy to see why good teams would line up for him.” The more versatility you can have, the better.

The 65-win Rockets team of 2017-18 had a number of them: Trevor Ariza, P.J. Tucker, and Luc Mbah a Moute. You could make the case that since Ariza departed in free agency that summer, Houston hasn’t replaced his services. Danuel House and Ben McLemore have done a fine job in regards to the small forward production, but the glue guy that holds a team together is still missing.

The Rockets have been one of the teams that have expressed interest in Covington’s services this season. Other contending teams like the 76ers have expressed interest and teams like the Lakers, Clippers, etc., likely will attempt to acquire his services between now and the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Consider this excerpt from our Sam Amick, who recently wrote on players most likely to be moved:

 

The T-Wolves are “trying” to find upgrades, as one GM put it, and it appears Covington could be the piece that helps aid that cause. His deal has two more seasons remaining ($12.1 million and $12.9 million), and his two-way play is sure to inspire significant interest (although his long-range efficiency is down this season; 34.9 percent after 39 percent last season). Minnesota started 7-4, prompting talk of another playoff appearance from Karl-Anthony Towns on down, but has won just eight times in 26 tries since (to be fair, the T-Wolves has won five of their past eight – more hope!).

“I’m not even focused on that,” Covington said in regards to leaguewide interest. “My main focus is with this team and what I do every day. I don’t get caught up in the rumors and hype and whatnot. Right now, I’m a Minnesota Timberwolf and that’s all my focus is (on).”

The million-dollar question remains: Will Covington be moved? And if so, do the Rockets have a realistic path to acquire his services?



Taking a look at Houston’s cap sheet (courtesy of Jeff Siegel and Early Bird Rights), it’s easy to see why the Rockets have such a hard time pulling off deals for players who would help them now. Most of their cap is tied up in their backcourt. Capela ($14.9 million), Gordon ($14 million), and Tucker ($8.3 million) have team-friendly, attractive deals, but they are also part of Houston’s core and it’s unlikely that they are moved for a player like Covington.

This is why Houston has tried to create three- and four-team deals in efforts to land players like Covington, Andre Iguodala, etc. The CBA ruling preventing them from using Nene as a valuable trade chip hurt their flexibility and potential upgrade chances. Big difference sending out $10 million potentially and having the league say it really only counts at $2.56 million.

As it stands, Houston is a tax team. Being a tax team, they would have to send out at least $8.96 million of Covington’s $11.3 million salary to make a deal work under CBA regulations. That figure isn’t the easiest for Houston to cobble together unless we’re talking about sending out at least five players. It’s safe to say that Harden, Russell Westbrook, Gordon, Clint Capela, or Tucker wouldn’t be included, so you’d have to look further down the roster.

In theory, four out of those five players could be Nene, Gerald Green, Thabo Sefolosha, and Tyson Chandler. I’d assume Houston would be a bit hesitant to throw Chandler in a deal, presumably because he was brought in to be a veteran presence and mentor, but Isaiah Hartenstein’s rapid improvement makes his inclusion a bit easier.

Adding the salaries of these four players brings Houston’s total to around $7.4 million, meaning $1.5 million would be left for them to come up with. In layman’s terms, adding one more from the group of Austin Rivers, House, or Ben McLemore. Rivers plays the least of the trio, but he has a no-trade clause in the deal he signed this past offseason. McLemore has done well to turn himself into a key player on a contending team, almost to an extent that Houston wouldn’t put him on the table. You’d assume the Rockets would feel the same about House, whom they were determined to keep in free agency, even though he’s in the midst of a rough stretch of play, and Covington plays the same position.

Five-for-one trades aren’t technically allowed under CBA constraints, although the Toronto Raptors were able to acquire Marc Gasol last season under similar circumstances, so Houston would have to make quick work signing additional players, which would add to their tax bill.

That’s not even the hardest part of making some sort of feasible trade. What about Minnesota? The Timberwolves don’t just have five extra roster spots lying around to take on what Houston would be sending out. This is where the multi-team deals come in. Teams that currently have available roster spots to take on players include Atlanta, Brooklyn, Cleveland (2), Denver, Oklahoma, Orlando, Portland.

 

Houston would surely have to send out draft compensation to teams involved in order to make this deal work. Houston can send up to two first-round picks and three second-round picks in a Covington deal.

All things considered, the ball is in Minnesota’s court. They understand the caliber of an asset they have in Covington and have the leverage, very similar to the Iguodala-Memphis situation. Is Houston’s deal the best that Minnesota can come up with? The Timberwolves are in the business of looking for upgrades, according to Amick. This deal, while helping Houston now and potentially giving Minnesota additional draft assets, isn’t exactly