NBA front offices have ramped up their interest for Minnesota Timberwolves forward Robert Covington as the trade deadline approaches, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times.
With less than six weeks remaining before the Feb. 6 cutout date, NBA teams are starting to look for the prototypical three-and-D wing, a description Covington fills to a tee.
The Timberwolves are expected to make moves by the deadline, mostly based on who they have at the helm. Gersson Rosas, who was hired to become the president of basketball operations after the firing of Tom Thibodeau left a vacancy atop the front office, has been a busy executive during his time with the Houston Rockets, playing the role of assistant to the trigger-happy Daryl Morey.
If his reputation has indeed followed him into The Twin Cities, Rosas will be getting plenty of calls inquiring about Covington, who could be their most prized possession available for trade.
While the organization loves Covington and what he brings to the table, the Wolves have gotten off to a 12-20 start to the season after losing 12 of their last 14 games — making their playoff prospect a rather narrow one.
There's reason to believe Covington can fetch a first-round pick return given that he is under contract for another two years and at a team-friendly rate of $12 million per year. The 29-year-old is under contract until the 2021-22 season, which could make him viable for many teams looking to do more than gamble on a rental.
Robert Covington is averaging 12.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.5 steals through 31 games. While he's struggled with his 3-point shooting this season (33.5%), there is reason to think a change of scenery could turn that around for him as a career 35.8% 3-point shooter.
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