Although the Los Angeles Lakers made no moves ahead of the NBA trade deadline, the team was active and looking for ways to bolster the roster.
According to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, the Lakers were interested in adding forward Robert Covington.
“There were discussions about Robert Covington, but those fizzled once the Wolves got a wealth of youthful assets in the four-team (Wolves, Rockets, Nuggets, Hawks) trade that was the highlight of deadline week,” Deveney wrote. “The Lakers poked around some point-guard options (D.J. Augustin, Dennis Schroder, Spencer Dinwiddie) but no deal came close to fruition.”
Covington, 29, ended up landing with the Houston Rockets.
The 6-foot-7 swingman made his debut against the Lakers on Thursday, and made them feel his wrath. He put up 14 points, eight boards, four assists, two steals and two blocks in the Rockets victory over the Lakers.
As he showed on Thursday night, Covington is a deadly all-around threat. The defensive stalwart has career averages of 12.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.
While the Lakers interest in adding Covington was understandable, their decision to stand pat is admirable. The organization is going through a rough time in the aftermath of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant’s death.
Yet, the Lakers have shown they’re one of the best teams in the association with their current roster. Superstar LeBron James is leading the charge well with 25.1 points, 10.8 assists and 7.7 boards per game this season.
