Sixers: The value of Robert Covington as he nears contract extension

The Sixers will soon have to decide on Robert Covington‘s contract extension. Let’s take a look at what his role would be with a more stable roster.

The Sixers have had to keep cap space open for next summer. They did so in signing J.J. Redick and Amir Johnson to just one-year deals. Bryan Colangelo will want to keep flexibility open to nail a big free agent, but he must also be weary of the impending contract extensions to Joel Embiid and Robert Covington.

Covington has blossomed from a fringe NBA player to a productive wing defender. Last season, the small forward exploded onto the scene defensively, being near the top of the list in deflections.  He had career highs in block percentage and steal percentage, and was a staple for the Sixers on the defensive side.

Often taking over the most difficult assignment defensively, Covington proved his worth going forward in this rebuild. He improved as an overall player, even with his offense taking a dip in efficiency. Career lows in efficient field goal percentage and true shooting percentage often ended beautifully coordinated offensive sets.

Covington shot just 32.1% on open three-point shots, when the closest defender is 4-6 feet away. His ineffectiveness from the outside came as a surprise, but he was still working on one of the league’s most valuable contracts. He’s projected to make just over $1.5 million this season, and he’ll be looking to nail his payday.

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The Sixers have just over $13.5 million to rework a contract extension during the season, but would Covington be worth that much per year? It seems that he’d be more than deserving for that type of contract, especially in comparison to some wing free agent signings this past summer.

Bojan Bogdanovic signed himself a two-year, $21 million contract with the Indiana Pacers. Joe Ingles secured himself a four-year, $52 million contract with Utah. And Dion Waiters the same with Miami. Covington’s net impact is similar to all of these players who fell near the $13 million salary.

Covington had a greater defensive win share than any of the three recent signees. His offensive numbers fall short of these signings, considering Dion Waiters higher usage. The number that really stands out is VORP (value over replacement player). Covington has the highest of the signees, with a VORP rating of 3.7. This is similar to Joe Ingles, who had a 3.5 VORP rating.

Beyond just stats, it’s important to look at a player’s importance to the roster. Waiters earned himself a huge contract, leading Miami’s failed playoff push. Bogdanovic and Ingles signed contracts to alleviate the loss of two superstar wings for their respective teams.

Covington will come in as a glue piece on defense. While Markelle Fultz can develop into a good perimeter defender, Redick is less than serviceable in that aspect. Ben Simmons‘ defense is often debated, but what’s known is he’ll most likely defend power forwards. What Covington can offer to the Sixers is the ability to take on the more difficult forward assignment for Simmons, or even guard what would be Redick’s matchup depending on the situation.

That’s what makes Covington important. His versatility defensively can give Brett Brown situational lineup decisions, and allow him to rotate through different unites with stability on the defensive ends. Even Covington’s offense makes him a good fit on the Sixers offense. He’s no longer the best outside option on the team, and may not even be the third best option in the starting lineup.

His shooting ability has lesser importance this season, which minimizes his inconsistencies. Covington can still be a decent threat, but he’s no longer the only threat. In reality, Covington’s attempts should go down, and with less emphasis on his shooting he could find comfortability in his offensive game again.

He’s not a focal point on that side of the ball anymore, which could be both good and bad. The criticisms on his defense will become more prevalent now that his offensive role will be minimized.

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So, is Covington worth the contract that would take up the team’s cap space this season? Absolutely. The next step for the Sixers is building chemistry, and with Covington at 26-years old, he seems to be a key part of this team moving forward. If Philadelphia isn’t committed to Covington in that sense, then a trade would come sooner than later, considering his expiring contract.