Robert Covington Reacts to Getting Traded by Clippers to Sixers

Robert Covington is headed back to the Sixers.

For the second time in his career, Robert Covington is a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.

During the early morning hours on Tuesday, Covington found out that he would be headed back to Philly in the blockbuster trade that ended the James Harden saga officially.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Sixers and the Los Angeles Clippers struck a deal that involved a handful of players from both sides. 

Coming from Philly, the Clippers will land role players such as PJ Tucker and Filip Petrusev in addition to Harden. Meanwhile, the Sixers are expected to acquire Marcus Morris, Nic Batum, KJ Martin, and Covington, along with draft compensation.

For Covington, he re-joins the squad that picked him up for his sophomore season in the NBA and gave him a long-term home early on in his career.

According to the veteran wing’s recent Instagram post, it appears Covington is looking forward to the reunion.

Robert Covington: “Back to where it began” pic.twitter.com/p8mh4LLfHo

— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) October 31, 2023

“Back to where it began,” Covington wrote.

During the 2014-2015 NBA season, Covington was one of many NBA players to land on a Sixers roster during their “Process” days. Fortunately for him, he was one of very few to stick around.

For five straight seasons, Covington played for the Sixers. By the time he reached his third year with the team, Covington had established himself as a full-time starter. During the 2017-2018 season, the Sixers turned their “Process” around and began making the playoffs.

During the 2018-2019 NBA season, Covington found himself as a key piece in a Sixers’ blockbuster trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves to land Jimmy Butler. That year, Covington appeared in 13 games with the Sixers, averaging 11 points while shooting 38 percent from three.

Over the span of four full seasons with the 76ers, Covington averaged 13 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals. He knocked down 36 percent of his threes while attempting nearly seven per game. He also established himself as one of the league’s better perimeter defenders as well.

Since his runs in Philly and Minnesota, Covington has bounced around a bit. In 2019-2020, he had a stint with the Houston Rockets. From 2020 to 2022, he played with the Portland Trail Blazers. During the 2021-2022 season, Covington was re-routed to the Clippers, where he appeared in 74 games.

Last season, Covington appeared off the Clippers’ bench for 48 games, averaging six points while shooting 40 percent from three. This year, he started in three matchups, putting up three points per game and shooting just 25 percent from three on nearly three attempts per game. 

Back in Philly, Covington has a chance to make an impact on a Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey-led squad that is coached by Nick Nurse.