By Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Philadelphia 76ers rookies Joel Embiid and Dario Saric fell short of the NBA Rookie of the Year award, but they weren't the only two Sixers players to get votes for an award during the NBA's two-hour show on TNT Monday night. Draymond Green earned the Defensive Player of the Year Award, but Sixers forward Robert Covington received some votes for the honor, finishing fourth in the voting.
Covington had his fair share of rough games last season when it came to shooting, but night in and night out, he was the Sixers best perimeter defender on the floor, a large reason as to why he was never removed from the starting lineup by head coach Brett Brown. The 26-year-old forward out of Tennessee State averaged 12.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. His 1.9 steals per game average was good for fourth in the NBA this season (second in the East) and his total number of steals (127) was ranked 11th in the league (fifth in the East).
The Sixers recently exercised Covington's option for 2017-18 and he's set to earn just $1.5 million, a bargain for a player of his value.
Bryan Colangelo can start working on a new contract extension starting in July if they want and will have the opportunity to renegotiate his deal in November. A source tells Liberty Ballers that Covington's future with the franchise is one of their top priorities. That's no surprise considering his scoring and top defensive skillset make him a valuable commodity in the current NBA.
The Philadelphia 76ers signed Covington on November 15, 2014 after he spent the majority of the 2013-14 season with the Houston Rockets D-League affiliate.
