Indiana Pacers: 4 ideal replacements for Myles Turner if he is traded

Myles Turner Replacement for the Indiana Pacers: Robert Covington

The Portland Trail Blazers may be tearing the gang up this offseason and if they indeed go that route, the Indiana Pacers should monitor the availability of forward Robert Covington, one of the league’s most disruptive 3-and-D players.

The 8-year veteran has long been considered as one of the elite defensive wings in the league, and that is certainly backed up by his inclusion in the All-Defensive Team in 2018. While he’s far better as a help defender than a one-on-one stopper, RoCo provides instant defensive utility to the court with his natural instincts, activity and length.

While the past season saw Covington record his lowest scoring average since his rookie season, it’s a product of him taking the fewest shots in his career. Nevertheless, he still has value as a catch and shoot threat, tallying a 37.9 percent mark on three-pointers with moderate volume. He’s very streaky on the perimeter, but he knows his role and defense is his calling card.

The thought of Sabonis as the lone rim protector is not very pleasant, but that can be mitigated by having a great first line of defense on the perimeter. And Covington, with his physical tools and experience, can the perfect guy to have just that.