NBA Rumors: 76ers 'Focusing' on Bogdan Bogdanovic, Robert Covington

The Philadelphia 76ers reportedly have been focusing on trading for Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Robert Covington.

The Philadelphia 76ers have been getting busy as the trade deadline nears. While the Sixers haven't been as aggressive in the trade market as they were last season, that doesn't mean they are unwilling to make deals. It sounds like they are just searching for the perfect candidate to trade for.

A few weeks back, it was rumored the Sixers were looking for a shooting guard, who will contribute off the bench for a second-half run. Six names were mentioned as the Sixers have been doing their due diligence by calling around.

Some familiar prospects included Washington's Davis Bertans, Memphis' Andre Iguodala, and Minnesota's Robert Covington. Considering the cost could be high for the three mentioned above, it seemed less likely the Sixers would be willing to meet those prices.

But after witnessing a severe slump after Christmas, Sixers' head coach Brett Brown admitted his team still didn't have an identity. While they are a defense-first type of squad, the struggles on offense were beginning to cause the defense to take a hit as well.

Therefore, the Sixers were hunting for a perimeter shooter that can contribute immediately. While the Sixers have been slightly better on both sides of the ball as of late, it will be in their best interest to load up weapons for the second half of the season so they can avoid another slump as they understand there's a legitimate shot at making a Finals run.

So who are the Sixers seriously looking at? Well, a recent report from WIP's Jon Johnson revealed that Philly has its eyes on two shooting guards. One happens to be the former Sixer, Robert Covington, as mentioned above. And the other is Sacramento Kings' 27-year-old veteran, Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Per NBA source, Sixers are currently focusing on Bogdan Bogdanovic, & Robert Covington as potential deadline acquisitions.
Source says Sixers have been firm on who/what is, and isn’t not available in return.

— Jon Johnson (@jonjohnsonwip) January 22, 2020

While Bogdanovic has been linked to the Sixers earlier on in the year, his name hasn't appeared beside them nearly as much as Covington's. Considering Covington has familiarity in Philly already, and is a solid defensive player, it wouldn't be hard to get him comfortable with a role in the Sixers' rotation.

However, Covington's struggles from three should be noted. Before getting traded to the Timberwolves last season, Covington was draining 39-percent of his long-range shots. This season, that average is down to 34-percent. His defense may be a nice addition, but he doesn't precisely fill the Sixers' biggest need right now.

As for Bogdanovic, his shooting percentage from deep is slightly better. As he averages around six three-point shots a game, Bogdanovic has managed to drain 37-percent of his attempts. He also averages two more points-per-game in comparison to Covington -- all while coming off of the bench in Sacramento.

Both players seem to have a lot of interest within the trade market this season, so neither will come cheap. The Sixers have the assets to acquire one or the other, but it will be up to them to decide whether they need to hold onto those developmental players and draft picks or not moving forward.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_