So much of the attention that the Philadelphia 76ers get is placed on Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. While those two are busy establishing themselves as two of the best young players in the league, arguably the most underrated member of the Sixers’ core is about to agree to a new deal.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, 6’9 three-and-D specialist Robert Covington will sign a new deal with the team worth $62 million over four years. It’s a massive payday for the 26 year old Covington compared to what he’s made so far in his career — according to his basketball-reference page, Covington has never made more than $1.58 million in a season over his five-year career.
Sources: Robert Covington and 76ers finalizing framework of a 4-year, $62M contract extension. I'll have more details on NBA Countdown at 7 PM ET. https://t.co/WSXinUQYGg
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 15, 2017
Shams Charania confirmed Wojnarowski’s reporting, and added that the extension will be finalized on Friday, and Derek Bodner of The Athletic reported how this deal will work within the Sixers’ existing cap space.
Sources: 76ers forward Robert Covington plans to sign a four-year, $62 million contract renegotiation-and-extension on Friday.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 15, 2017
Covington's 2017-18 contract will be renegotiated with the #sixers remaining cap space, then he'll receive a 4-year extension worth roughly $45 million, per sources.
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) November 16, 2017
Covington went undrafted in 2013, spent some time with the Houston Rockets and its G-League squad, and was signed by the Sixers in 2014. He’s gone from a then-D-League standout to one of the league’s most underrated players. A fearsome defender who is lights out from downtown, Covington is averaging a career-high 16.8 points per game this season and connecting on an insane 50 percent of his attempts from three.
