:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67806846/usa_today_14092399.0.jpg)
As 2020 NBA trade season began, the primary target of the Portland Trail Blazers may have been Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon rather than the player they actually acquired, Robert Covington of the Houston Rockets. Mitch Lawrence of SiriusXM Radio’s NBA Channel tweeted today that the Blazers offered the same package for Gordon that they did for Covington, but were rebuffed. That package included forward Trevor Ariza, Portland’s first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and a lottery-protected first-rounder in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Orlando Magic turned down Portland’s offers to land Aaron Gordon, before the Blazers used similar assets to make their move for the Rockets’ Robert Covington, per sources. Gordon was said to be the Blazers’ No. 1 target.
— Mitch Lawrence (@Mitch_Lawrence) November 17, 2020
Gordon, a seven-year veteran, averaged 14.4 points and 7.7 rebounds for the Magic last season. He shot 43.7% from the field and 30.8% from the arc. He’ll make $18.1 million in 2020-21 from a contract that expires in the summer of 2022, with a total remaining value of $34.5 million.
Covington is entering his eighth season. He scored 11.6 with 8.0 rebounds per game for the Rockets in 2019-20, averaging 39.2% shooting from the field and 31.5% from the arc. His contract also expires in 2022. He’ll make $12.1 million this year, $25 million total.