Daryl Morey: If not for D’Antoni, Covington trade ‘never happens’

In a podcast with ESPN’s Zach Lowe, Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey explained why he wants his head coach to challenge him.

Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey says he probably would not have made the Feb. 5 trade of traditional center Clint Capela for versatile forward Robert Covington with a head coach other than Mike D’Antoni.

During a podcast taped this past weekend, ESPN‘s Zach Lowe asked Morey what he desires in an NBA coach.

“I like someone who I’m being challenged by,” Morey responded. “Mike comes in and constantly is like, ‘Hey, we should do this.'”

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From there, Morey used the Covington trade and the subsequent switch to a smaller lineup without a center as an example of D’Antoni’s strong working relationship with the Houston front office.

Morey said:

The reality is without Mike D’Antoni, this Clint for Covington trade never happens. I’d be shocked if there’s very many coaches in the league where I could get that trade done.

As a GM, you’re making what is a pretty big gamble. If you don’t have the coach on board in a way that he understands how to use what we were going to try and do, you can’t make that move. It’s just too risky.

With Mike, I was like ‘Hey, we’re going to do this. If there’s a 5 [center] that makes some sense, we’ll look at it. But frankly, I think it makes sense maybe not to do it at all.’

Coach D’Antoni saying, ‘I trust what you guys are doing, I see what you’re doing, and we’re going to make it work.’ That means so much. That’s what I look for the most, someone who challenges me, works with the whole organization, and can execute.

In 13 games with Houston, Covington is averaging 13.0 points (36.1% on 3-pointers), 7.9 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game. The Rockets (39-24) were 7-2 in Covington’s first nine games, including wins over several strong playoff teams such as the Lakers, Jazz, and Celtics (twice).

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Since then, the Rockets have lost four straight games and are badly in need of a spark — though Covington has been one of the lone bright spots during the skid, shooting 41.9% on 3-pointers at 7.8 attempts per game. The 29-year-old also remains one of the team’s best defenders.

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As for D’Antoni, his long-term coaching status with the Rockets is unclear, since his contract expires after the 2019-20 season. But his working relationship with the front office appears to be an important factor that the organization will consider before making its ultimate decision.

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