Chicago Bulls: Could Robert Covington be solution for 3-and-D problems?

The Chicago Bulls’ late-season slip has led insiders and fans to believe that a roster shakeup is on the way.

The Chicago Bulls have only won five games in the month of March and are trying to avoid the Eastern Conference play-in tournament. The month has exposed the Bulls’ inability to incorporate their role players for long stretches in games as well as the team’s lack of a defensive identity.

With Zach LaVine’s impending free agency and the push by fans to move on from Nikola Vucevic, the Bulls may need to find a wing 3-and-D player with length to rebound in a potential small unit to help avoid a lot of turnover.

Their Thursday night matchup provided a close look at the player who can fill that role in 2022-2023: Robert Covington.

The Clippers acquired Covington at the trade deadline from the Portland Trail Blazers. Covington has carved out a successful NBA career as a reliable 3-point threat who can lock up guards on the perimeter as well as power forwards down low.

Could Robert Covington help the Bulls upgrade this offseason?

Standing at 6-foot-8, RoCo is a career 35% 3-point shooter and is shooting 41% this season. He has a high-arching shot that’s difficult to block on the wing and he’s a willing passer, having played alongside the NBA’s best. He understands how to complement stars and adjust his game to his team’s needs, as he did in Houston when they needed him to defend the center in their ultra small-ball experiment.

His best years came in Philadelphia alongside Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and JJ Redick. That group took the Sixers from a lottery team to an actual “process.” They made it to the second round of the playoffs and were a lucky shot by Kawhi Leonard away from the Eastern Conference Finals.

Covington’s best attribute is his defense. He has the height and strength to defend dynamic guards like Leonard, Paul George, Luka Doncic and LeBron James. He also has the lateral quickness and length to bother guards like Kyrie Irving and Steph Curry. He even has the footwork and quick hands to handle solid post players down low, like Steven Adams.

With the Bulls, he will fill a role that they currently don’t have. Chicago doesn’t have a guy they can say that they use as their “defensive stopper.” Right now, Alex Caruso is the closest to that role, but isn’t big enough. Patrick Williams can develop into that role, but he isn’t an offensive threat that can force teams to play honest defense in crunch time. Lonzo Ball is the closest to being able to fulfill that role, but he is still a little too small and way too unavailable.

Covington can play in the pick and roll with DeRozan and LaVine, just like he did in Houston with James Harden. He can sit in the corner or on the wing and hit open threes, which is something he excelled at in Portland with Damien Lillard. He can feed to Vucevic in the low post and relocate, a role that came natural to him in Philly.

His versatility is something the Bulls need to become real contenders. Covington is an unrestricted free agent this summer and has accepted veteran minimum contracts with other teams. If he’s willing to accept similar money in Chicago (or at least on the cheaper side), it’d be a near-perfect fit.