Milwaukee Bucks: 3 reasons for pursuing Robert Covington trade
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly expressing interest in trading for Houston Rockets swingman Robert Covington, and the fit makes sense.
The trade rumors are heating up in the NBA, and the Milwaukee Bucks are right at the forefront of speculation.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer dropped off some new developments in his draft guide where he detailed a pair of trade targets that the Bucks have their eye on:
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"“Multiple league sources say the Bucks are active in trade discussions; they’re looking to move on from Eric Bledsoe, and have offered him to several teams. They’re also in pursuit of Rockets forwards Robert Covington and P.J. Tucker; Houston doesn’t have a pick in this draft and is moving toward a retooling period with Russell Westbrook wanting out.”"
Robert Covington is especially captivating, given that the Bucks are reportedly “aggressively pursuing” upgrades on the wing. The Bucks have had their eye on him since December of last season where they were linked to him before he made the move to Houston ahead of the trade deadline. Now, they have revamped their pursuit of the 29-year-old, and it makes sense. Without further ado, here are three reasons why.
Frontcourt depth
While the most prominent trade speculation has revolved around changes they plan to make in the backcourt, the Bucks also need to address some lingering issues in the frontcourt.
Marvin Williams retired at the end of the season, Ersan Ilyasova’s $7 million is not guaranteed next year, and Robin Lopez currently holds a $5 million player option next season. While it’s safe to assume Lopez picks that up, though there is no indication of what his decision will be yet, the level of uncertainty surrounding those three is cratering, and Milwaukee knows that they might have to add some size this offseason.
That makes their expressed interest in Covington justifiable. Standing at 6’7″, the swingman can play multiple positions and would give the Bucks some closure in terms of their depth and overall versatility. Slated to make $12.1 million this upcoming season and $12.9 million in 2020-21, Covington is also relatively easy for the Bucks to digest financially as well.
Covington would be a bolstering addition to Milwaukee’s frontcourt lineup, made particularly interesting with everything that he brings to the table.