Assessing The Athletic’s Robert Covington trade for Milwaukee Bucks

For the past several years, one trade target that has often been linked to the Milwaukee Bucks is Robert Covington.

The Bucks have expressed interest in the versatile forward before, as they reportedly made a run at him before the 2020-21 season when he was with the Houston Rockets. However, they struck out as Covington was dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers instead, where he currently resides. Yet, it may not be for long as Covington has been shrouded in trade speculation amidst what has been a tough season for the injury-riddled Blazers.

If the 31-year-old is indeed available, it would not be surprising to see the Bucks try to acquire him once again, although piecing together a deal would not be without its challenges. Taking on what remains of Covington’s hefty $13 million expiring salary this season with Milwaukee’s shortage of assets makes a deal tough put together for general manager Jon Horst, but not impossible.

The Athletic’s Eric Nehm (subscription required), recently proposed a deal to help the Bucks land Covington from the Blazers, and it is certainly interesting to consider.

The Athletic’s proposed Robert Covington trade for the Milwaukee Bucks

Given Covington’s aforementioned $13 million salary, the Bucks would have to send out a large chunk of cash to match in any trade. The combined numbers for Donte DiVincenzo ($4 million), George Hill ($4 million), Rodney Hood ($2.2 million), and Semi Ojeleye ($1.8 million) would be sufficient enough to match financially.

While a deal could hypothetically work, the question remains how both parties would feel about this particular package. With that said, let us take a look at a breakdown of Nehm’s package and whether or not the Bucks could actually land Covington.