Rockets have ‘serious interest’ in Robert Covington

According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, the Rockets have ‘serious interest’ in acquiring Robert Covington from the Minnesota Timberwolves.

With a decent amount of the NBA becoming trade-eligible December 15, general managers across the league are officially lining up deals for trade season.

Covington, 28, is likely to be on several teams’ radars and will be a hot commodity over the next two months.

Covington makes just north of $11 million this season and is under contract for the next two seasons.

If the Rockets wanted to complete a trade with just themselves and the Wolves, it would require jettisoning either P.J. Tucker and the team’s first-round pick for 2020.

Covington arriving in Houston would significantly help the team’s defensive woes. He was a part of the 2017-18 All-Defensive First Team. He can defend the top scorers the Rockets would have to face down the stretch in the playoff run. Simply put, it’s very hard to get a bucket off of RoCo.

Covington is also a solid three-point shooter, knocking down just under 37 percent of his threes in 22 games this season.

Covington could come off the bench or shift into the starting lineup for the Rockets today. It’s definitely a move the Rockets should consider, especially if the price is P.J. Tucker and a first-round pick.

The pick is going to be traded eventually, the question is to where and for whom. And Covington would be a satisfying return for the Rockets.