At this point, it appears that Minnesota Timberwolves wing Robert Covington is going to be one of the bigger names that will be dealt before the February 6 trade deadline. There has been a ton of interest in the 29-year-old, and as reported by Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynskyi of The Athletic, the league-best Milwaukee Bucks are now also looking to join in on the fun.
Minnesota has been engaged in talks regarding Covington, whose suitors include Dallas, Houston and Milwaukee, according to sources. The Mavericks and Rockets discussed potential deals for Covington in the offseason, with the Mavericks having their 2020 Golden State second-rounder and the Rockets dangling future first-round compensation.
That's a pretty formidable list of suitors right there, with the Bucks not even looking like the strongest contenders for Covington's signature. Based on the excerpt above, the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets appear to hold the advantage.
Currently, Covington is averaging 12.8 points (on 43.7 percent shooting), 5.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game for the Timbewolves. Minnesota has been having a terrible year, and are currently the second-worst team in the West with a 15-33 record. This has become a lost season for them, which has resulted in their willingness to cash in on players like Covington.
Covington's current deal runs through the 2021-22 season, and he will be owed $25 million over the next two seasons. That's going to take up a significant chunk of any squad's salary cap, but given everything he brings to the table, teams are more than willing to take on Covington's contract, as well as the injury risks he entails.