This time of year is supposed to be dull on the sports calendar.
But it might as well be Christmas in July.
And Denver’s the epicenter. Or, rather, the North Pole.
Full disclosure: I flipped and flopped more times than some of America’s lovely politicians (on both sides of the aisle) before deciding who to write this column about.
The excellent news Broncos Country received about Von Miller and John Elway on Tuesday afternoon? Or the juicy fact this Dwyane Wade-to-the-Nuggets thing might actually be more legitimate than any of the naysayers gave it credit?
So I picked both.
Let’s start with Miller because the Broncos rule this town and the guy’s the reigning Super Bowl MVP; but the rumblings about Wade shouldn’t be far behind getting a true Denver fan’s heart to flutter just a little bit.
John and Von talked.
And that’s big effing news.
The Broncos GM and the disgruntled linebacker spoke on the phone during the holiday weekend, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Here’s what you need to know:
In what the Broncos hoped would be an ice-breaker, Elway and Miller are said to have spent about 10-15 minutes on the phone this past weekend, with Denver’s general manager letting his franchise player know that the Broncos still love him and still want to re-sign him, league sources said. Elway told Miller that Denver would reach out to his agents this week in an effort to jumpstart talks and procure a long-term deal, a source said. Until this weekend, the last time the two sides spoke was June 7.
Man, that’s good to read.
After InstagramGate or CropGate or whatever the kids are calling it these days, that’s the first piece of good news we’ve received in a while in the ultra-contentious battle between No. 7 and No. 58. It sounds like an attempt to bury the hatchet, and for two guys with egos bigger than LoDo, it’s a massive step.
Even if it was just chit-chat, the fact a conversation took place more than 10 days before the looming July 15 deadline is a reason to feel optimistic something will get done. Yes there will be agents, and salary cap gurus, and hundreds of others involved in brokering a deal, but the reality is the two guys most important to all of this might be back on the same page.
With a little more than week before the finish line hits on this thing, a deal feels far more likely than it did 24 hours ago.
And speaking of deals that feel more likely than they did on America’s birthday, check out the Nuggets making a real push for Dwyane Wade.
The Nuggets' two-year offer to Dwayne Wade is north of $50 million, according to league sources, with Denver still hopeful Wade accepts it.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 6, 2016
Even if one has a lot of money (I presume) like Wade, Benjamins still talk and the Nuggets and the Kroenkes deserve credit for making the longtime Heat star pause and consider their offer. The odds are still against Wade taking his talents to the mountains, but it’s a substantial chunk of change we’re talking about here.
The Heat were more than $10 million short of Denver's offer at last report but most league observers still expect D-Wade to wind up in Miami
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 6, 2016
At this point the relationship between the Heat and Wade sounds so bad that maybe they’ve ticked him off just enough he’d jump ship for the promising young Nugs. He’s even giving them an audience in New York on Wednesday.
Sources: Free agent guard Dwyane Wade meeting with Denver Nuggets officials on Wednesday in New York. Story soon on @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 6, 2016
Wade may not be the player he was in his prime (he’s still damn good), but having a free agent choose Denver would bring back instant credibility the Nuggets, from a sheer recruiting standpoint, haven’t had in nearly a decade.
Coveted free agent Kenyon Martin would never have signed here without the presence of a promising young star. Heck, there’s no way Allen Iverson accepts a trade to the Mile High City without Carmelo Anthony donning powder blue. Fair or not, Melo was a star other stars wanted to play with. Wade may be a fading star, but the possible Nuggets recruiting list during his time here would be nearly endless.
It was a big day in Denver on Tuesday.
Both Von Miller and Dwyane Wade could be playing in the 303 next year.
Yet, while it’s Christmas in July for this sportswriter, there won’t be presents under the tree for fans unless both guys put pen to paper.
Maybe Denver will get a summertime Christmas miracle.