12 Free agents Dallas Mavericks must pursue after Klay Thompson signing

10. Robert Covington

There was a time when Robert Covington was deemed one of the most elite 3-and-D role players in the NBA. During his peak, it was common to see him average at least 2.0 3-pointers and a combined 3.0 steals and blocks per game.

Evidently, he is way past his peak, and folks shouldn't expect him to get back to that level of production again. But at 33 years old, Covington showed last season with the Philadelphia 76ers that he could still defend at a respectable level, which could fill a need for the Dallas Mavericks. He also shot well from beyond the arc, draining 1.5 3-pointers per 36 minutes at a 35.4% shooting clip.

The Mavs reportedly tried to trade for "RoCo" several years ago, but they have the opportunity to finally land him this time, as he is an unrestricted free agent. Philadelphia might look to bring him back, though, as he is one of the veterans Paul George possibly wants to be teammates with again.

One of the knocks on Covington has been his health issues. However, that wouldn't be that much of a problem with Dallas, as he certainly wouldn't be asked to play heavy minutes. You can never have too many 3-and-D players in the NBA, and Covington could help Dallas if they were to sign him.