Dunking With Wolves
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The Minnesota Timberwolves should not trade Robert Covington

By Andrew Ites

ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 25: Robert Covington #33 of the Minnesota Timberwolves dribbles the ball during a game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on November 25, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 25: Robert Covington #33 of the Minnesota Timberwolves dribbles the ball during a game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on November 25, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
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Robert Covington is reportedly generating a lot of interest in the trade market, but the Minnesota Timberwolves would be wise to hold on to their three-and-D veteran.

The Minnesota Timberwolves shocked most of the NBA when they jumped out to a 7-4 start and looked like a legitimate playoff team in a tough Western Conference.

However, the young Wolves have cooled off significantly since then and now sit at 10-13 after losing nine of their last 12 games.

According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, championship contenders around the league are keeping their eyes on Minnesota as Robert Covington would be a great fit for any team trying to win a title.

Those contenders are hoping the Wolves fall out of playoff contention and become sellers by the time the trade deadline rolls around so RoCo can become available in a trade.

Covington is one of the oldest players on Minnesota’s roster as he’s set to turn 29 in December, and he has struggled through some knee injuries in the past. However, his three-and-D skillset is perfect for this team when he plays alongside Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, and RoCo is on a very team-friendly contract for the next three years with a salary hovering around just $12 million per year.

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I can certainly see the appeal of wanting to acquire a younger player or some draft capital in a Covington trade as he’s a bit older than Wiggins and Towns, but this team needs some sort of veteran leadership as they continue to build a contender and RoCo has provided that over the past calendar year that he’s been on the roster.

Even if Covington’s knee injuries do pop up again in the future, he’s not going to kill the Wolves’ salary cap with his reasonable contract.

If Minnesota decides to trade Covington, they’d probably be looking for another player with his type of skillset immediately and those players aren’t always available with more teams opting to play small-ball.

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While there are some reasons why trading RoCo before the deadline would be a smart idea for the organization, I think he’s simply too valuable to give up for anything less than a major haul in a trade this season.

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