Ranking 76ers free agents by likelihood to return next season
By Tyler Watts
7. Robert Covington
Covington was a key find during The Process. The 6’7 wing went undrafted in 2013 and spent most of his rookie season in the G League. Philadelphia was searching for talent and had no desire to win games, so they added RoCo when he was let go by Daryl Morey and the Rockets.
He quickly transformed into a plus 3-and-D option. Covington made first-team All-Defense in 2018 and opened the door for the Sixers to make him a key piece in the trade for Jimmy Butler. The future Hall of Famer wanted out on Minnesota, but without Covington, Philly might not win that bidding war.
RoCo came back in the James Harden, but the 33-year-old is declining. He has struggled to stay healthy over the last two years and averaged just 4.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 16.1 minutes per game during his time with the 76ers. The 6’7 wing suffered a season-ending injury on Dec. 30 but struggled to get consistent run before going down.
Robert Covington made $11.6 million last season, but will likely have to settle for a minimum contract in free agency. Can he find a team willing to give him consistent minutes next season? If not, RoCo might end up back in Philadelphia.