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The final piece of the trade that sent Robert Covington to the Trail Blazers from the Rockets took shape on Tuesday. The Blazers’ draft slot was involved in a three-way tiebreaker with the Mavericks and Lakers. The result: Portland’s former pick landed behind Los Angeles and Dallas at the No. 23 spot.
ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony delivered the news shortly after the tiebreakers unfolded.
NBA Draft tiebreaker results:
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 25, 2021
No. 21: Dallas&
No. 22 pick: LA Lakers
No. 23 pick: Portland Trailblazers*
&Will be conveyed to New York
*Will be conveyed to Houston
The Blazers concluded the 2020-21 regular season with a 10-2 push to the finish line. The Blazers, Mavericks and Lakers all finished with a 42-30 record.
In the 2020 offseason, the Blazers traded Trevor Ariza, the No. 16 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and a lottery-protected 2021 first-round pick for Covington. In his first season with the Blazers, Covington appeared in 70 regular season games as a starter. In those outings, he averaged 8.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.
The Trail Blazers are set to enter the 2021 NBA Draft without a selection in the first or second round.