Covington to Blazers

[gouki88]

Woj - Covington for Ariza, 2020 1st, 2021 protected 1st

Overpay by Blazers. Thats crazy

They could have drafted a 3 and D player

They couldn’t have drafted anyone near as good as Covington. They want to go now

[tazzmaniac]

Assuming the 2021 pick is lottery protected, its a good trade for the Blazers.  Lillard and McCollum are 29 and 30 so the Blazer's need to make win now moves.   Covington is a good fit for them on a good contract.  With two mid-1st picks, you can expect one of them to be a miss and hope the other develops into a Covington level starter in time. 

Over the past 10 drafts at #16, five are busts and two are TBDs.  The best 3 are:  Vucevic, Nurkic and Rozier. 

From the Houston perspective, it is not clear what they are trying to accomplish.  It is a good value trade if they are looking to break up the team.  However, they apparently have tried to extend Harden but this type of trade is going to make Harden want out more.  Maybe they've got a trade in the works for a better player to team with Harden and need some picks. 

[Somebody]

Assuming the 2021 pick is lottery protected, its a good trade for the Blazers.  Lillard and McCollum are 29 and 30 so the Blazer's need to make win now moves.   Covington is a good fit for them on a good contract.  With two mid-1st picks, you can expect one of them to be a miss and hope the other develops into a Covington level starter in time. 

Over the past 10 drafts at #16, five are busts and two are TBDs.  The best 3 are:  Vucevic, Nurkic and Rozier. 

From the Houston perspective, it is not clear what they are trying to accomplish.  It is a good value trade if they are looking to break up the team.  However, they apparently have tried to extend Harden but this type of trade is going to make Harden want out more.  Maybe they've got a trade in the works for a better player to team with Harden and need some picks.

Westbrook and picks for Paul George would be my guess assuming that the rumours are true.

[Birdman]

Great trade for Portland.. picks are protected..Ariza probably be release..Wish we got him and looks like Houston may just start over

[Somebody]

Great trade for Portland.. picks are protected..Ariza probably be release..Wish we got him and looks like Houston may just start over

Ariza is still a decent 3 and D player, I think Houston will keep him.

[tazzmaniac]

Assuming the 2021 pick is lottery protected, its a good trade for the Blazers.  Lillard and McCollum are 29 and 30 so the Blazer's need to make win now moves.   Covington is a good fit for them on a good contract.  With two mid-1st picks, you can expect one of them to be a miss and hope the other develops into a Covington level starter in time. 

Over the past 10 drafts at #16, five are busts and two are TBDs.  The best 3 are:  Vucevic, Nurkic and Rozier. 

From the Houston perspective, it is not clear what they are trying to accomplish.  It is a good value trade if they are looking to break up the team.  However, they apparently have tried to extend Harden but this type of trade is going to make Harden want out more.  Maybe they've got a trade in the works for a better player to team with Harden and need some picks.

Westbrook and picks for Paul George would be my guess assuming that the rumours are true.

That would be a lousy trade for the Clips.  Westbrook and Kawhi aren't getting them past the Lakers. 

[RodyTur10]

Woj - Covington for Ariza, 2020 1st, 2021 protected 1st

Overpay by Blazers. Thats crazy

They could have drafted a 3 and D player

At least the 2021 pick is protected and the 2020 pick is mediocre. Not a bad deal for the Blazers, they needed a guy like Roco if they want to move the needle with McCollum and Liliard now that Nurkic and Collins are back. They really lacked a high level defender on the wing. Slight overpay but worth it imo.

Yes absolutely. Portland is a win-now-team with Lillard in his prime.
They needed a dependable 3-and-D wing and not many better than Covington.

[Moranis]

Assuming the 2021 pick is lottery protected, its a good trade for the Blazers.  Lillard and McCollum are 29 and 30 so the Blazer's need to make win now moves.   Covington is a good fit for them on a good contract.  With two mid-1st picks, you can expect one of them to be a miss and hope the other develops into a Covington level starter in time. 

Over the past 10 drafts at #16, five are busts and two are TBDs.  The best 3 are:  Vucevic, Nurkic and Rozier. 

From the Houston perspective, it is not clear what they are trying to accomplish.  It is a good value trade if they are looking to break up the team.  However, they apparently have tried to extend Harden but this type of trade is going to make Harden want out more.  Maybe they've got a trade in the works for a better player to team with Harden and need some picks.

Westbrook and picks for Paul George would be my guess assuming that the rumours are true.

That would be a lousy trade for the Clips.  Westbrook and Kawhi aren't getting them past the Lakers.

Neither is Kawhi and George and that clearly didn't work very well. 

Westbrook, Gordon, 2 Portland 1st's for George, Beverly, McGruder

I think that would be an interesting trade for both teams.  I probably wouldn't do it if I was the Clippers, but if George and Leonard really aren't playing well together, then that might be a move to keep the Clippers relevant and may be worth them doing.  And the one thing that Westbrook is never afraid to do, is take a big shot in the clutch.  He doesn't hit them as much as a team would like, but he won't shy away from taking them either, something the Clippers as a whole had a real problem with as they were choking away big 2nd half leads in the final 3 games against Denver.

As for the Rockets, I think that might encourage Harden to drop his trade demand.  Get an excellent 2-way wing that doesn't need the ball in George and an excellent 2nd shot generator in Gordon. 

[footey]

Assuming the 2021 pick is lottery protected, its a good trade for the Blazers.  Lillard and McCollum are 29 and 30 so the Blazer's need to make win now moves.   Covington is a good fit for them on a good contract.  With two mid-1st picks, you can expect one of them to be a miss and hope the other develops into a Covington level starter in time. 

Over the past 10 drafts at #16, five are busts and two are TBDs.  The best 3 are:  Vucevic, Nurkic and Rozier. 

From the Houston perspective, it is not clear what they are trying to accomplish.  It is a good value trade if they are looking to break up the team.  However, they apparently have tried to extend Harden but this type of trade is going to make Harden want out more.  Maybe they've got a trade in the works for a better player to team with Harden and need some picks.

Westbrook and picks for Paul George would be my guess assuming that the rumours are true.

That would be a lousy trade for the Clips.  Westbrook and Kawhi aren't getting them past the Lakers.

Neither is Kawhi and George and that clearly didn't work very well. 

Westbrook, Gordon, 2 Portland 1st's for George, Beverly, McGruder

I think that would be an interesting trade for both teams.  I probably wouldn't do it if I was the Clippers, but if George and Leonard really aren't playing well together, then that might be a move to keep the Clippers relevant and may be worth them doing.  And the one thing that Westbrook is never afraid to do, is take a big shot in the clutch.  He doesn't hit them as much as a team would like, but he won't shy away from taking them either, something the Clippers as a whole had a real problem with as they were choking away big 2nd half leads in the final 3 games against Denver.

As for the Rockets, I think that might encourage Harden to drop his trade demand.  Get an excellent 2-way wing that doesn't need the ball in George and an excellent 2nd shot generator in Gordon.

Westbrook is demanding trade to have his own team; becoming teammate with Kawhi may not fly. Although he is an LA kid.  This could work I guess.  Clips are spinning in circles it seems.

[keevsnick]

Good for both sides. POR gets the 3+D wing it desperately needs, still has the full MLE and a trade exception (7 million) to use to fill out its bench.

HOU starts to restock the asset pool. If Jrue Holiday just went for 2 useful players, 3 firsts and 2 swaps Harden should fetch a haul. They can also bottom out, their pick swap next year is top 4 protected in a top end heavy draft.

Eric Gordon, PJ Tucker are guys who will probably return at least a first round pick apiece, and even westbrook will probably net a small asset (and a bunch of bad money, but if they are gonna stink next year who cares?).

[Who]

Covington's defense is over-rated. He is a plus defender but not an elite one. Good pickup for Portland. They had no forwards last year after letting Aminu and Harkless go and were a train wreck at those two forward slots. Covington gives them a good starting SF/PF. That is progress.

Not sure what Houston is trying to do here. They can't rebuild without losing Harden. What is the purpose in giving up your best role player for two middling draft picks? If it is that Westbrook trade for PG13 mentioned above, then I am all in on this Covington deal because Covington and Westbrook for PG13 is an awesome trade. If there is no follow up move planned - then I really do not get what they are doing here.

The price is fine for Covington. Portland were desperate and they have little to offer. Two middling picks for a good starting forward is good price to pay for a team in such a bind - with limited alternatives to fixing the problem in another way such as free agency or trades. Worth the risk for a desperate team that is on it's last legs.

[Who]

Westbrook and picks for Paul George would be my guess assuming that the rumours are true.

That would be a lousy trade for the Clips.  Westbrook and Kawhi aren't getting them past the Lakers.

Neither is Kawhi and George and that clearly didn't work very well. 

Disagree with both ideas here.

(1) Kawhi and PG13 are good enough to beat LA together. They need to change their supporting players. Not their two main guys. They are playing the blame game and they are going after the wrong guy in PG13.

(2) Kawhi and Westbrook are also good enough to beat LA. I'd love to see those two guys together. Westbrook's driving game would be a good contrast to Kawhi's iso game. Surround them with passers & shooters and they would be incredibly difficult to stop.


Lakers are being over-rated. Yes they won but LAL are not some crazy talented super-team that nobody can compete with. They can be beaten. Lots of teams can beat them.

[Moranis]

Westbrook and picks for Paul George would be my guess assuming that the rumours are true.

That would be a lousy trade for the Clips.  Westbrook and Kawhi aren't getting them past the Lakers.

Neither is Kawhi and George and that clearly didn't work very well. 

Disagree with both ideas here.

(1) Kawhi and PG13 are good enough to beat LA together. They need to change their supporting players. Not their two main guys. They are playing the blame game and they are going after the wrong guy in PG13.

(2) Kawhi and Westbrook are also good enough to beat LA. I'd love to see those two guys together. Westbrook's driving game would be a good contrast to Kawhi's iso game. Surround them with passers & shooters and they would be incredibly difficult to stop.


Lakers are being over-rated. Yes they won but LAL are not some crazy talented super-team that nobody can compete with. They can be beaten. Lots of teams can beat them.

Oh I don't think the Clippers should move on from George.  He is a top 10ish player and you could reasonably put him as the 8th best player in the world.  Giannis, Lebron, Kawhi, Davis, and Durant if he is healthy are better 2-way players and Harden and Curry are better overall players than George given just how good they are offensively, but after those 7 it isn't that easy to find players better than Paul George as he is in the same general range as Doncic, Butler, Embiid, Jokic, and Westbrook.  I do think Doncic will likely separate himself from that group, but I need to see it again, and it wouldn't hurt if he got a bit better defensively either. 

That said, if the Clippers can get Westbrook, Gordon, and 2 mid 1st round picks for George, Beverly, and McGruder, I think they have to at least consider it as I think that would give them a more balanced roster (I don't really like the fact that George and Leonard are both best suited as SF's).