Former 76ers Vet Addresses Mysterious Absence From Injury Last Season

Robert Covington recently addressed his absence from last season.

Mar 27, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Robert Covington practices before a game against the LA Clippers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Last October, the Philadelphia 76ers formed a reunion with celebrated process prospect Robert Covington. As the Sixers struck a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers to cut ties with the disgruntled James Harden, Covington was part of the returning package.

When the Sixers landed a handful of role players in the deal involving Harden, not everybody was expected to stay on board. Marcus Morris ended up being the odd-man-out in the end, as he was dealt to the San Antonio Spurs in the deal that helped the Sixers acquire Buddy Hield.

While Robert Covington’s name popped up in trade rumors, he stayed on the roster. However, a knee injury kept him sidelined for a large chunk of the season. When the December 30 matchup against the Chicago Bulls concluded for the Sixers, Covington’s five-minute shift ended up being his last with the team.

Official @sixers news:

The team has made the trade official - welcoming new (and returning) 76ers Robert Covington, Marcus Morris, Nic Batum, and KJ Martin.

— Lauren Rosen (@LaurenMRosen) November 1, 2023

It was apparent Covington was dealing with a knee injury, which was diagnosed as a bone bruise. Since there was no recovery timeline revealed, it didn’t seem likely Covington’s season was over.

Unfortunately, the reunion was short-lived. The Sixers played out 50 games without Covington after that late December matchup. When they competed against the New York Knicks in the playoffs, Covington was inactive throughout the series.

Considering the lack of detailed updates on the setback, it seemed Covington was entering his free-agent summer, still working his way back from an injury. According to the veteran forward, that wasn’t the case.

“I wouldn’t say it was [injured] going into the offseason. I was pretty good. I was working out, doing things a lot. A lot of good things well enough to play, but just for whatever reason that didn’t happen,” Covington told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype recently.

Prior to the setback, Covington appeared in 26 games for the Sixers last year. He averaged five points on 45 percent shooting from the field, knocking down 35 percent of his threes. He also averaged three rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. Covington’s defensive value shined during his 16 minutes on the court per game.

At this point, it’s unclear what’s next for Covington from an NBA standpoint. The Sixers took their attention elsewhere in free agency and seemed to really show interest in just two players from the Clippers deal. Re-acquiring Nic Batum might’ve been a priority, but he jetted back to LA. KJ Martin was the only one to return, picking up a reported $16 million deal for two seasons.

Robert Covington was just one board shy of a double-double in Team USA’s win over 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico! 💪

It was an impactful performance as he continues to dominate! 🏀🇺🇸#robertcovington #teamusa #fibabasketball #clutch pic.twitter.com/Pmj97SBfC9

— BNA 🇦🇺 (@AusBballnews) November 25, 2024

“I went into the summer prepping for my next opportunity and I just was patient through everything,” Covington continued, via Scotto. “I just took my time and fully getting healthy, fully getting ready for everything and just maintaining my peace of mind, because a lot of things didn’t make sense to me, and I try to understand things, try to harp on certain things, but I was just at peace with everything and just moved on from all the stuff that happened. Like I said, once I got that peace of mind, it made me feel much better. I just was able to move on from the things that transpired.”

Covington remains an NBA free agent. In the meantime, he’ll represent Team USA at the 2024 AmeriCup Qualifiers. The 33-year-old former Sixer will get a chance to prove his value as the 2024-2025 NBA season continues.