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Combined, Broncos safeties Dennis Smith and Steve Atwater totaled more than 2,000 solo tackles in their respective careers.
The Denver Broncos have had many standout defenders in franchise history, but the two best tacklers in the team’s history have been snubbed by Pro Football Hall of Fame voters so far.
Here’s a quick look at the team’s unofficial list of their top-10 leaders in solo tackles, courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
As part of our ongoing series at HoopsHype, we are looking at whose free agency stock has gone up – and down – over the last several games.
Now that we’ve just about reached the All-Star break, NBA front offices are going to have some extra time without games to think about how they plan to move forward with their rosters.
Executives around the league always have tough decisions to make about who they plan to re-sign and who they plan to let walk during the offseason. But as the season progresses, it becomes a bit easier to evaluate who would be a good fit for their franchise and who might not be.
As part of our ongoing series at HoopsHype, we are looking at whose free agency stock has gone up – and down – over the last several games.
Dennis Smith will serve at Steve Atwater’s presenter during the 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Dennis Smith was an established veteran with two Pro Bowl nods and two first-team All-Pro selections when the Broncos drafted Steve Atwater in the first round of the 1989 NFL draft. Smith quickly became a mentor for Atwater and the two safeties became one of the best DB duos in the NFL.
Smith and Atwater combined to record 54 interceptions and 20 sacks during their careers, earning 14 Pro Bowl selections along the way. Both players are now in the Broncos’ Ring of Fame.
After being voted into to the Pro Football Hall of Fame last week, Atwater revealed during a press conference Thursday that Smith will serve as his presenter in Canton, Ohio next summer.
“Dennis was the guy I had in my mind all along just because when I came into the league, he really spent a lot of time getting me up to speed and sharing things with me as a player that I never would have known,” Atwater said. “How to go about the game, the right mindset to have, and then just watching him play.
“Seeing how fast he played and how fearless he was when he went in to make tackles or make an interception when he covered one on one. He was great in man-to-man coverage, too. He played some slot corner for a while as a 6-3, 205-pound safety. That takes some skills to do that.”
Atwater is the eighth Bronco to enter the Hall of Fame and he hopes that Smith will one day join him. If not for Smith, Atwater might not be Canton-bound himself.
“I just learned so much from him,” Atwater said. “It’s a small way for me to say thank you for how much time he spent getting me up to speed and inspiring me. Just watching him play, it was inspiring.”
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HoopsHype ranks the five players who have popped up the most in trade rumors over the past week, including Pistons big man Andre Drummond.
Trade scuttle slowed down over the weekend and early in the week for obvious, tragic reasons, but that doesn’t mean teams have stopped talking business entirely behind the scenes. And although Woj is cautioning fans that it might be a slow trade deadline, as there are a lack of big-name players being discussed on the market at the moment, that doesn’t mean we won’t see some action over the coming days. Judging by some of the players being discussed, some teams might pick up half-decent role players by the deadline, who will undoubtedly help them in the upcoming playoffs.
Below, HoopsHype ranks the five players who have popped up the most in rumors on the site’s Trade page over the past week.
5. KYLE KUZMA
Despite all the scuttle that made it seem like Kyle Kuzma was all but gone from the Los Angeles Lakers, the most recent talk on the matter indicates that the team is now hoping to hold onto the floor-spacing big man in hopes he can develop some consistency playing off of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Here’s what Sports Illustrated reporter Chris Mannix wrote late last week (via SI):
“More importantly: Giving up on Kuzma this early isn’t something the Lakers should be interested in. Kuzma is just 24. He’s a proven NBA scorer. He’s experiencing a learning curve playing alongside James and Davis, but there simply is not enough evidence to declare the fit in L.A. a failure. Expect the Lakers to hold on to Kuzma in the hopes he develops into a reliable third scoring option this season—and beyond.”
Kuzma’s recent play, particularly when Davis missed time with a tailbone injury, probably also factored into Los Angeles’ decision. Prior to a completely stinker against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, Kuzma was averaging 17.2 points and 5.2 rebounds over a nine-game stretch in which the Lakers went 7-2.
Still on a rookie-scale contract, it would benefit Los Angeles greatly if Kuzma can develop into legitimate third option for their title-contending team.
4. ANDRE DRUMMOND
The closer we get to the deadline, the more it looks like the Detroit Pistons are going to be forced to hold onto Andre Drummond and either pay him this summer when he hits free agency or risk losing him for nothing.
According to reports from various outlets, Detroit’s demands – mostly the fact they really want a first-round pick for their All-Star big man – has forced the market to grind to a near-halt with regards to Drummond. And unless the Pistons get a little more lax on their ultimatums, they may be stuck with Drummond for the rest of the season.
The main teams who were reportedly after Drummond, the Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, all own the draft capital necessary to meet Detroit’s demands, even if they may not want to right now, so there’s a chance trade talks for the double-double machine and league’s leading rebounder open up again as we get closer to the Feb. 6 deadline.
3. DENNIS SMITH JR.
We don’t have word on any potential destinations for third-year guard Dennis Smith Jr., but we do know he probably doesn’t factor into the New York Knicks’ future plans as the 22-year-old has only played in three of the team’s last five games, all for under 15 minutes of action.
On the year, Smith is averaging a meager 5.0 points and 2.6 assists per game in 15.5 minutes, resembling nothing like the Russell Westbrook reimagining that many hyped him up to be as a prospect.
Even so, Smith is under contract for one more season after this one, at an extremely team-friendly price of $5.7 million, so teams could consider taking a cheap flyer on him if the Knicks do decide to move the young ball-handler.
To his credit, Smith is taking his demotion to the Knicks’ third string like a complete pro, telling New York City media:
“Everything happens for a reason, you know what I’m saying? It was already written, God’s plan, I just gotta execute my part, put my work in and everything will work out. It’s a business. I’m here, playing for the New York Knicks, that’s my job right now, so that’s what I’m focused on. You realized [last year] anything can happen, so you just gotta be the best version of yourself.”
2. ALEC BURKS
The Golden State Warriors, arguably the worst team in basketball this season while possessing various cheap-but-productive veterans, are obvious sellers ahead of the trade deadline.
That became even clearer when the team dealt big man Willie Cauley-Stein to the Dallas Mavericks for a second-round pick.
28-year-old guard Alec Burks could get them even more in a potential trade, too, according to reports, which state that Golden State netting a late first-round pick for Burks is entirely possible. Makes sense, as Burks is a low-maintenance and productive option, one averaging a career-high 15.8 points to go with 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists on the year and earning $2.3 million.
The fact that Burks will be a free agent this summer should only make him more enticing to interested parties. Expect the Colorado product to get dealt over the coming days, it just makes too much sense.
1. ROBERT COVINGTON
On the year, Robert Covington is averaging 12.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while hitting nearly 35 percent of his three-point attempts, roughly enough to make him a viable threat when left open.
Covington’s game, that of a 3-and-D specialist who can cause major havoc defensively, has made him a hot trade commodity ahead of the deadline, especially because the Minnesota Timberwolves have played like one of the worst teams in the league recently. His team-friendly contract, which pays him on average $12.1 million over the next three seasons, also makes him a coveted trade target around the Association.
Some of the teams that have been mentioned as potential trade suitors for Covington include the Clippers, Lakers, Rockets, Sixers and Mavericks, all contenders with big aspirations this season who have the salaries and assets needed to entice the Timberwolves in theoretical trade talks.
At the same time, Minnesota knows what an excellent player – and asset – they have in Covington, so he won’t come cheap in a trade. Prying the 29-year-old swingman away from the Timberwolves won’t be easy.
You can follow Frank Urbina on Twitter: @FrankUrbina_.
HoopsHype ranks the five players who have popped up the most in trade rumors over the past week, including Karl-Anthony Towns.
We haven’t seen another trade since the Cleveland Cavaliers sent Jordan Clarkson to the Utah Jazz, but that doesn’t mean there’s been a shortage of scuttle over the past week. What’s more, as we get closer to February, trade rumors will only start to become more frequent, a trend we’re already starting to see now, in early January.
Below, HoopsHype ranks the five players who have popped up the most in rumors on the site’s Trade page over the past week.
Despite scuttle over previous weeks about the likelihood of a Jrue Holiday trade, the smoke on that end has started to fade a bit, and it looks like the New Orleans Pelicans would prefer to keep their underrated floor general.
The latest we’ve heard on the Holiday trade front comes from Shams Charania, who reported the following last week:
“Holiday wants to win and cares most about being in a winning situation, league sources tell The Athletic. He and Griffin had agreed to push into a new Pelicans future over the summer and contend for a playoff berth, but that has not happened. When Griffin took over in New Orleans, Holiday wanted to stay and saw the possibility of being part winner right where he is. So far, the sides have not had any dialogue about his future.”
With New Orleans sitting at 11-23 and Holiday under contract for three more seasons, discontentment on Holiday’s end could begin to grow unless the team experiences a major turnaround.
If that were to happen, Charania listed the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat as two teams who could be interested in pursuing the two-way guard.
Holiday is averaging 19.9 points and 6.5 assists this season.
With the Cleveland Cavaliers in the early stages of a complete rebuild and Tristan Thompson in his prime, on the final year of his deal and performing at a high level, it only makes sense for the team to consider trading their big man for more assets.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said as much after Cleveland dealt Clarkson, reporting that the Cavs, “plan to start uprooting veterans from their roster to gather more draft picks and young assets.” The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Chris Fedor reported that contenders have expressed interest in Thompson, but that the Cavaliers are contemplating whether to trade their best big man or sign him to a long-term contract.
That sounds like it could be a good bit of posturing by Cleveland, however, in hopes of driving up the asking price for Thompson, who is legitimately playing some of the best basketball of his career right now.
This season, the Canadian center is averaging 12.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. He’d make a great addition to a top-notch playoff team lacking in toughness on the inside.
There’s no question Dennis Smith Jr., a former Top-10 pick, has been a pretty big disappointment thus far in his career. And things haven’t improved upon his arrival to the Big Apple.
As a member of the New York Knicks, Smith is averaging 5.2 points and 2.7 assists per game, though he did miss some time due to the death of a loved one, which could have had an adverse effect on his form.
Now, Shams is reporting that teams around the Association believe Smith would prefer a move from the Knicks.
Despite his struggles this season, Smith still holds value as a trade target thanks to his age (22), upside and the fact that he’s under contract for two more seasons after this one, and at a team-friendly price. Maybe in more tenable situation, like one that doesn’t include a midseason coaching change, Smith might have a chance to flourish.
At least that’s the gamble some teams could be willing to make.
There hasn’t been a full-out trade rumor regarding Karl-Anthony Towns yet, but the seeds of discontent began to appear last week when a report out of each coast came out, stating that two big-market teams were monitoring the star big man and his level of contentment with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are struggling again this season.
First, came a report from Marc Berman at the New York Post who stated that the New York Knicks are keeping their eye on Towns, in case he were to demand a trade. Then came the second report, courtesy of Ethan Strauss at The Athletic, who said that the Golden State Warriors are also eyeing Towns for the same reason, and that league execs at the G League showcase said Towns is unhappy in Minnesota.
A latter report had sources within both Towns’ and the Wolves’ camps downplaying concerns, but as the saying goes, where there’s smoke there’s fire. And as long as the Timberwolves continue to struggle despite having two max players on their roster, the team’s future will continue to be unsettled.
The one player to actually demand a trade this season is Sacramento Kings big man Dewayne Dedmon, who went quite public with his displeasure regarding his current situation.
Dedmon told the Sacramento Bee:
“‘I would like to be traded,’ Dedmon told The Bee, speaking publicly about his trade request for the first time. ‘I haven’t been playing, so I would like to go somewhere where my talents are appreciated.’ The Kings are listening to offers and there appears to be a market for Dedmon’s services, but a league source told The Bee any deal would have to make sense for the team and its future.”
Dedmon hasn’t played in 11 of Sacramento’s last 13 games, and his lack of playing time overall this year has a lot to do with the emergence of Richaun Holmes and the development of Harry Giles. It makes sense why Dedmon, who is playing under 14 minutes per game this year, is unhappy in Sacramento, but at the same time, he chose to sign with a team that has a pretty deep frontcourt rotation, filled with promising up-and-comers.
On the other hand, what were the Kings thinking when they offered Dedmon a three-year, $40 million contract to begin with?
Dedmon’s contract, which pays him over $13 million annually, could make him a bit tricky to move, but his skill-set, that of a floor-spacing, rim-protecting center who would be a decent backup on a contender, could make him appealing to elite teams.
You can follow Frank Urbina on Twitter: @FrankUrbina_.
