Robert Covington Is Just What The Portland Trail Blazers Needed

A brief history of ROCO

Robert “ROCO” Covington was an undrafted free agent out of the University of Tennessee in 2013. After joining the Houston Rockets’ Summer League team, ROCO performed enough to earn a multi-year contract from Houston.

After spending the next season with the D-League’s Rio Grande Vipers, Covington won Rookie of the Year honors. Inexplicably though, he was waived by the Rockets before the start of the next season.

That year, Covington signed with the Philadelphia 76ers and began to develop as one of the league’s top 3&D players.

Under then Sixers’ Head Coach Brett Brown, Covington saw improvements to his shot and defensive ability. Some of which is a credit to his maturing body and hard work, some is a credit to Brett Brown’s player development ability.

It didn’t take long for Covington to become beloved in Philadelphia as he was the most successful player developed by Philly during that time.

He was eventually moved to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a deal that sent Jimmy Butler to Philly. In Minnesota, he continued to show off what makes him special; floor spacing, defensive versatility, and defending at a high level.

His time in Minnesota wasn’t long though, as ROCO soon found himself back in H-Town as a part of a seldom-seen four-team deal.

He didn’t perform up to his standards in Houston, but between the pandemic and the state of the Houston Rockets, one shouldn’t take much stock in that performance.

That brings us to yesterday. Robert Covington was traded once again, this time, to the Portland Trail Blazers.