4 Western Conference free agents Raptors must watch in playoffs

2. Robert Covington, Los Angeles Clippers

For someone that has never played for the Raptors, Covington does seem like the type of player that would get some rave reviews from Masai Ujiri and the rest of the front office. While not an elite on-ball defender, Covington has proven to be an archetypal 3-and-D forward over the last few years.

Ever since he was traded to a Clippers team trying to make the playoffs, Covington has averaged 10.6 points per game while converting on 45% of his 3-point attempts. No one in this league loves 6-8 forwards who can switch more than the Raptors, and that could force them to give Covington a very hard sell.

Robert Covington fits the Toronto Raptors schematically.

Both Chris Boucher and Thad Young are free agents at the end of the season, and the odds of retaining both of them don’t seem very likely at this point. While far from a dominant interior presence, joining a Raptors team that switches everything on defense and needs shooting seems like an ideal fit.

Covington will turn 32 next offseason, meaning that teams that could be better positioned to win a championship might have more allure than the Raptors. If Toronto can sell him on their vision, Covington could be convinced to spurn those contenders and head up to Canada.