The Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the biggest surprise packages of the season and at this point, it appears that they are not settling for being this year’s feel-good story. The Cavs are serious about making a playoff run and it looks like they are making the necessary moves towards this lofty objective.
The Cavs are expected to be buyers as we approach the February trade deadline. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Cleveland has shown interest in Portland Trail Blazers veteran Robert Covington as a potential mid-season recruit:
Several teams have called to express interest in trading for Robert Covington, including the Utah Jazz, as Marc Stein first reported, the Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers, and others have also reached out, league sources told HoopsHype.
As the above report notes, the Cavs will be facing some competition for the highly sought-after Covington, with the Jazz and the Timberwolves, among others, also rumored to be in the mix. The 31-year-old is currently on an expiring deal, which makes him an even more attractive prospect. However, it’s Covington’s defensive prowess and his ability to stretch the floor that make him a valuable target in the market. He’s also been around the league for quite some time now and his veteran presence would definitely benefit a young team like the Cavs.
It will be interesting to see what Cleveland might have to offer in exchange for RoCo. The Blazers won’t be giving him up for cheap and the Cavs will likely need to part ways with some valuable assets if they hope to avail of Covington’s services for the rest of the season.
Covington, a former All-Defensive team member, is currently averaging 7.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks, while also connecting on 1.7 triples per game on a 35.1-percent clip. He’s been a key cog for Portland, starting 36 out of their 47 games thus far. The Blazers are not a very good team right now and Damian Lillard is expected to miss significant time due to injury. As such, it would not be surprising if this team ends up being sellers at the trade deadline as they look towards next season.