In a year in which he has had to mourn …

In a year in which he has had to mourn the death of his stepmother, adjust to being traded from a franchise he once thought drafted him to be its future, seen an intense summer of workouts stunted by a back injury in training camp, and received boos from the home fans of his new team for the unforgivable offense of gutting out that injury, Dennis Smith Jr. doesn’t want to match that negative energy with any of his own. Smith has accepted the challenges and embraced the disruptions, believing they have a purpose. “I understand nothing happens to me,” Smith said in a conversation with The Athletic, “everything happens for me. You feel what I’m saying? I keep my head up, keep 10 toes on the ground and just keep moving everything. Gratitude is very key to humility. So, I just find something to be grateful for in every situation. Can’t be mad at that. I’m blessed, however you want to look at it.”