DENVER — Sitting atop the Western Conference and looking ahead at a championship run, the Nuggets are understandably exploring many opportunities to improve the roster, but it may come as a surprise that second-year sparkplug Bones Hyland is one of the players available from Denver.
On a recent episode of the Locked On Nuggets podcast, hosts Matt Moore and Adam Mares discussed the reports that Hyland is being discussed in trade scenarios, why it makes sense from both sides, and why a deal is ultimately unlikely to happen.
“I think Bones is frustrated by a number of things about his current situation, and that’s understandable given how he plays, what he wants to do with his career, what he’s been asked to do, and how (head coach Mike) Malone treats guys in his position,” Moore said. “Young guys don’t get to make mistakes.”
Hyland has some of the worst net rating numbers when he’s on the court of any Nuggets player, makes mistakes like most young guards, and has seen his minutes fluctuate all season. It would be easy to imagine Hyland getting more opportunities on a younger, building team than a title contender like Denver.
From the Nuggets’ standpoint, this season is about maximizing championship potential, so it makes sense that they would listen to offers. That doesn’t mean a trade is likely, said Mares.
“Betting against deals is always the smart thing,” he said on the Locked On Nuggets podcast. “I don’t think Denver is like ‘we have to get rid of Bones,’ but I think they field offers because they know they have a championship team, and there is a possibility that you’re able to grab a player that makes it more like you’re able to win a championship this year.”
Because of his potential and Denver’s status in the league, Hyland’s future is one of the key storylines in the NBA over the next week leading up to the Feb. 9 trade deadline. But the Locked On Nuggets hosts agreed it was more likely than not that Hyland remained in Denver the rest of the season.