Robert Covington reportedly switches agents ahead of contract year with Sixers

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As Robert Covington is set to enter a contract year with the Sixers, the three-and-D wing has reportedly decided to switch agents.

According to a report on Monday from the Sports Business Journal, Covington has switched agencies to CAA Sports, where he will be represented by a team led by agent Drew Morrison. Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns, Chris Paul and Paul George are among those represented by CAA agents. 

The Sixers last month picked up an option for the fourth and final year of Covington's current deal. With that option having a price tag of $1.57 million attached to it, Covington is playing on one of the biggest bargain deals in the NBA.

After mostly being known as a three-point shooter during his first two seasons in Philadelphia, Covington amped up his defense in 2016-17 and established himself as one of the better three-and-D wings the league has to offer. Covington finished first in deflections per game (4.2) and tied for second in steals per game (1.9) en route to a fourth-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Covington will be in line for a substantial raise next summer when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. And that raise could come even sooner if the Sixers want to lock up Covington before he hits the open market.

Beginning on Nov. 15, Covington's three-year anniversary date of signing here, the Sixers will have the ability to renegotiate and extend Covington's contract. In this scenario, the Sixers would utilize their available salary cap room (which currently sits at around $15 million) to raise Covington's sub-$2 million salary for the 2017-18 season and extend him for an additional three years.

This would be a win for both sides, as it prevents Covington from leaving the Sixers in unrestricted free agency while considerably increasing his salary for next season. Both Brett Brown and Bryan Colangelo have identified Covington as a valued part of the Sixers' young, promising core, so it wouldn't be a surprise if the Sixers aggresively pursued that route. 

Regardless of when it happens, a big payday awaits Covington within the next year. 

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