6 Forwards that the Sacramento Kings can still sign in free agency
By Mat Issa
Robert Covington
In a recent article, I mentioned how some people have compared our undrafted rookie Isaiah Crawford (who I am high on) to Robert Covington. If that's true, why try and sign Covington?
Well, it may take Crawford a year to get his druthers in the NBA. So, in the meantime, the Kings may as well have Covington to fill in minutes as a backup power forward and center (he can also masquerade as a small ball center in short spurts).
Injuries short-circuited Covington's 2023-24 campaign, and as a result, his value on the open market has torpedoed. However, in the 29 games he did play, Covington showed that he is still one of the best per-minute defensive playmakers and secondary rim protectors. During that stretch, the soon-to-be 12-year veteran was in the 99th percentile in steal rate (defensive playmaking) and the 86th percentile in block rate (86th percentile).
Season | Steal Rate (By Percentile) | Block Rate (By Percentile) |
|---|---|---|
2023-24 | 99th | 86th |
2022-23 | 91st | 89th |
2021-22 | 94th | 91st |
2020-21 | 86th | 83rd |
2019-20 | 92nd | 85th |
2018-19 | 98th | 84th |
Covington's age is a concern (he'll turn 34 during the 2024-25 season), and he's not the spacer that his successor Crawford is (Covington was in the 36th percentile in 3-point attempts per 75). Still, for a fringe rotation player that you only want to play 10 to 15 minutes per night (who can probably be had at the veteran minimum), Covington is the perfect defense-first energy guy to add to this roster.