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NBA Trade Rumors: Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets among the teams interested in Minnesota's Robert Covington

Robert Covington could exit the Minnesota Timberwolves ahead of the trade deadline
Robert Covington could exit the Minnesota Timberwolves ahead of the trade deadline

What's the rumor?

After making an excellent start to the season, the Minnesota Timberwolves have faded badly, and Wednesday's 99-104 defeat to the Indiana Pacers left the team well outside the playoff places with a 15-25 record. With any prospect of reaching the postseason quickly fading, the front office opted to trade Jeff Teague to the Atlanta Hawks, and according to Jon Krawczynski and Shams Charania of The Athletic, Robert Covington could be the next to exit as he is attracting plenty of interest around the league:

The market for forward Robert Covington has been heating up over recent days. Covington has become a coveted player, with his defensive prowess and outside shooting an ideal fit for most teams in the playoff hunt. Houston, Dallas and Philadelphia are among the teams who have expressed interest in Covington.

In case you didn't know...

Covington went undrafted back in the 2013 NBA draft, although the 29-year-old established himself as a starter in Philadelphia during the 2014-15 season after impressing in the G-League. Following four seasons with the Sixers, Covington was traded to the Timberwolves as part of the trade for Jimmy Butler and the small forward has featured 61 times for the Timberwolves, averaging 13.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per contest.

The heart of the matter

Despite the Timberwolves' poor form, Covington has enjoyed another productive season and is currently shooting a career-high 44.1 percent from the field. His ability to space the floor and knock down three's makes him an ideal trade target for contending teams such as the Sixers and Rockets - and it is unlikely that he will remain with the Timberwolves past next month's deadline.

What's next?

Covington and the Timberwolves are back in action on Friday as they take on the Indiana Pacers.

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