Mavs (And Other Teams') Trade Talk for Covington is 'Heating Up'

Mavs (And Other Teams') Trade Talk for Covington is 'Heating Up'; What Would Dallas Offer In A Bidding War?

DALLAS - It's becoming an "open secret'': The Dallas Mavericks are among the teams being attached to a February trade-deadline deal involving Minnesota wing Robert Covington. 

We've tried to make sense of the concept here. ... Our big push being that Minnesota is said to be in need of young point guard help, and the Mavs just happen to employ a good one in Jalen Brunson. 

In fact, DBcom can be even more specific about what we think Dallas could/should pay: Brunson, Courtney Lee (and his money) and the valued Warriors second-round pick.

But whatever form an offer would take, according to The Athletic’s John Krawcyzknsi and Shams Charania, the trade market for Covington is ‘heating up’ with Philadelphia, Houston and Dallas working to elbow their way to the front of the line.

Covington, to his credit, is trying to concentrate on the job at hand.

“I’m not even focused on that,” Covington said, as noted by The Athletic’s Kelly Iko. “My main focus is with this team and what I do every day. I don’t get caught up in the rumors and hype and whatnot. Right now, I’m a Minnesota Timberwolf and that’s all my focus is (on).”

But most players would invite a move to a contender. Philly knows him well; Covington went to Minnesota in 2018 from Philly a part of the Jimmy Butler trade. Houston is a powerhouse in waiting. (Though according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, the Rockets may be backing out.) And the Mavs, at the halfway mark of the NBA season, are on a 52-game win pace. ... and, with Luka Doncic and a healthy (maybe) Kristaps Porzingis, truly could be on "one-player-away'' territory.

The Mavs have long had a fondness for Covington, now 29, who is a classic 3-and-D guy and maybe even a premier one. He's scoring about 13 points per game, with 5.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.7 steals, and a block while also serving as a three-point threat.

The money isn't an obstacle; his deal has two more seasons on it ($12.1 million and $12.9 million) and a value for a player who might be the third-best performer on the Dallas roster, behind only Doncic and Porzingis, should the Mavs find a way to engineer a swap.

We've speculated as to what it might take to pry lose Covington from Minny (starting with our analysis of a Bill Simmons post on the subject, click here) and as the NBA Trade Deadline is just three weeks away, that may be the start of a bidding war here. ... a bidding war that is "heating up'' with Mavs involvement.