According to Senior NBA Insider for TNT & Bleacher Report Chris Haynes, Denver Nuggets guard Bones Hyland is reportedly open to being traded by the team if he can secure a larger role with a different NBA franchise. Hyland was a trending topic in the basketball world on Tuesday as he posted in a now-deleted Instagram story: “In the back of mind. I hear the clock ticking.” On January 30th, he tweeted, “John 13:7 “You may not know now, but later you’ll understand.”
Hyland unfollowed the Nuggets and removed his association with them from his social media accounts and there are reports the Nuggets have been discussing trades for the player with the Minnesota Timberwolves a team that is interested in the second-year guard. Wolves president of basketball operations leader Tim Connelly originally drafted Hyland with the 26th pick in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft. But, it’s not just the Wolves that are interested, Haynes reports that plenty of teams have expressed interest.
Hyland has been a backup point guard behind Jamal Murray in Denver, but the Nuggets have recently turned to Bruce Brown for key minutes when Murray is taken off the floor. When the starter missed games, it was Brown that got the call. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported this past Friday that Denver is considering its future behind Murray. He notes:
“While Hyland still has two more years remaining on his rookie deal, an anticipation of Brown’s next payday, plus Hyland’s upcoming second contract, has the tax-conscious Nuggets considering their options in the backcourt. Occasional clashes between Hyland and head coach Michael Malone’s old-school mentality have also been a factor in Denver’s trade dialogue, sources said.”
Hyland is scoring 12.1 points on just 19.1 minutes average this season. He can be inconsistent and is often criticized for his shot selections, shooting at an accurate rate of 39.9 percent from the field. Some fans wonder if he’s simply going through a bit of a sophomore slump, and if the talk of him being traded is only piling onto the issues. It could be a matter of the Nuggets being patient and seeing if the issues subside and his play improves. The Nuggets see themselves as a team with a window to win now, especially if they capitalize on the prime years of MVP Nikola Jokic. Hyland could be used to improve their roster via trade.
Hyland told DNVR Sports’ Harrison Wind that he doesn’t pay very much attention to trade chatters with the Denver Nuggets. “I don’t care. It doesn’t bother me at all. I don’t pay no mind to it. Whatever happens, happens. I know God’s got me. I don’t really care.”
