Portland Trail Blazers Receive: C Nerlens Noel, NYK 2022 2nd Round Pick (Top-44 Protected)
New York Knicks Receive: F Robert Covington
The New York Knicks have a lot of work to do if they are to make it back to the playoffs this season, especially since the Eastern Conference has changed significantly this season.
Over the years, the Western Conference has always dominated the Eastern Conference in the sense that they have had more “championship contenders,” but the script has seemed to flip this season. Now, the West is very “top-heavy” while the East has a ton of balance up-and-down the standings.
With the Bulls, Nets, Bucks and Heat all looking like championship contenders this season and the 76ers right behind them, there is very little room for error given the limited playoff spots available.
New York is looking to clear their name from their first-round playoff exit a season ago and while they certainly need a lot more help than just Robert Covington, he may not be a terrible addition for them given his versatility.
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Whether it is on the wing, in the low-post or even being a center in some rotations, Robert Covington can wear many different hats for his team and with the Knicks, a team that prides themselves defensively, Covington could really fit in,
The Knicks have a lot of room to maneuver given their cap situation, but bringing in Covington’s contract would force them to give up one of their longer contracts. Alec Burks has played really well this season and given Derrick Rose being out, the team would probably prefer to keep Kemba Walker for the time being, making Nerlens Noel the possible “scapegoat” in a trade for Covington.
Noel signed a three-year, $27.7M deal this past offseason, but it is hard to imagine that he is in the New York Knicks’ long-term plans.
Maybe they would want to keep him past this season given that Mitchell Robinson is in the final year of his contract and could be on the move this upcoming summer, but Nerlens Noel really is nothing more than a rebounding big man for this team.
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With Jusuf Nurkic in the final year of his contract, Noel could be someone the Trail Blazers lean on for frontcourt production both now and in the future. Not to mention, the Blazers are currently over the luxury tax threshold on the season and moving Robert Covington for Nerlens Noel would take them below this tax line, saving them a lot of money.
This is definitely not the most value the Portland Trail Blazers can bring back for someone like Robert Covington, but there is value for them to have in this deal, especially given their luxury tax bill at the moment.
