
2. Value contract
Robert Covington is not a rental either. He is under contract until 2022 at a team-friendly rate. He is making just $11.3 million this season. That number climbs to $12.98 million in the final year of the deal.
RoCo is making less than Courtney Lee this season. He would also allow the Mavericks to lock in a capable starter at a reasonable rate for the rest of this year plus two more.
The Mavs will not have cap space this summer, but they would have room in 2021. Adding Covington does not do much damage to that. The front office will make a plethora of moves between now and then, so it is difficult to project what their cap sheet will look like. What fans can bank on is adding a capable starter at roughly $12 million per season is always good business in today’s NBA.
The Mavericks could also pencil in having Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis, and Robert Covington in their starting five for two full seasons. Seth Curry, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dwight Powell, and Maxi Kleber are also under contract for that period. The Mavs would be a deep team with room to make moves.
That smells like a contender with continued growth from Luka and the rest of their young talent.
Next: No. 1