In news that broke late Tuesday night, the Houston Rockets agreed to acquire forward Robert Covington and reserve big man Jordan Bell from the Minnesota Timberwolves, along with a second-round draft pick.
As part of a four-way trade, the Rockets are sending starting center Clint Capela to Atlanta and their 2020 first-round draft pick to Denver, along with injured reserves Gerald Green (to Denver) and Nene (to Atlanta).
The complex deal was agreed to over a day before the NBA’s trade deadline for the 2019-20 season, which is at 2 p.m. Central time on Thursday. It’s certainly feasible that Houston could make another move by that time, since the Rockets now have two open roster spots.
The Rockets, Hawks, Timberwolves and Nuggets have agreed to a multi-player trade that includes Clint Capela and Robert Covington, among other players, and draft picks, sources told @wojespn. https://t.co/2R2J7Ig8DW
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 5, 2020
Sources: Houston is also receiving Jordan Bell and a second-round draft pick. https://t.co/3YpbhniEYP
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 5, 2020
Best known for his defense, Covington is averaging 12.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in 29.4 minutes per game this season. The lanky 6-foot-7 forward, who is shooting 43.5% from the field and 34.6% on 3-pointers, offers the defensive versatility to guard several positions.
The 29-year-old is signed through the 2021-22 season at an average salary of approximately $12 million. Per several reports, Covington has been a trade target of the Rockets for months.
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The Rockets selected Capela in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft. Now in his sixth season — all with the Rockets — the 25-year-old is averaging 13.9 points (62.9% shooting) and 13.8 rebounds per game, with that rebounding total ranking fourth in the league.
Despite the gaudy individual numbers, though, the Rockets are 10-1 (.909) in games that Capela has not played in the 2019-20 season due to injury or illness. Specifically, the Rockets have had a far superior rating on offense when not utilizing a traditional center.
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That seems to have prompted GM Daryl Morey to reallocate his team’s salary resources, with Capela’s slot of more than $16 million going to a more versatile forward in Covington and a cheaper center.
To that end, the Rockets had reportedly sought to bring in both a wing player and a replacement center for Capela as part of their planned transactions leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline. Since they are not acquiring a proven center in this deal, it could signal that another trade or an eventual buyout signing is in the works for that purpose.
Sources: Despite the recent additions via trade, the #Rockets are not done yet making moves and will continue to be active before the trade deadline as they search for a center.
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) February 5, 2020
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The Rockets (32-18) have won six of their last eight games overall, with the last four wins without Capela. They’re in the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference playoff race and just a half-game back of No. 4 Utah (32-17).
But with a stated mission of winning the 2020 NBA title, their sights are much higher than their current standings placement. Morey’s hope is that the acquisition of Covington can move them closer to that ultimate goal.
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