The LA Clippers traded Bones Hyland away just a little over a year ago, and at the time, it looked like a win. Hyland was barely playing, so packaging him and the bad contract Terance Mann had for Bogdan Bogdanovic and draft capital was genius. Well, the tables have completely turned; the 25-year-old guard is flourishing with the Minnesota Timberwolves, which has sent a message to the Clippers, particularly Lawrence Frank, that patience is all that was needed.
In fact, Hyland was never given the opportunity he deserved with the Clippers. He was on the bench for extensive periods of time, and when James Harden arrived in 2023-24, Tyronn Lue’s rotation was too crowded to distribute minutes to the youngster.
But a highly talented and potential-heavy athlete will always find his way, and he did just that. This lets the Clippers know that, although they missed out on Hyland, they must provide the youth they have with time, as the reward could be priceless.
The Timberwolves gave Bones Hyland a chance, and he rewarded them for it
Overall, Bones Hyland is having a great fifth season in the league. He’s done great things off the bench for Chris Finch and is the player who can be trusted to get a bucket when needed. This is the type of backup point guard the Minnesota Timberwolves have desired.
When Anthony Edwards went down with knee inflammation, everyone thought the Timberwolves were going to lose their way into the Play-In Tournament. Rightfully so, Edwards is Minnesota’s superstar, and if he is out, the cookie is bound to crumble.
However, Hyland took Edwards’ injury as an opportunity to shine with his number called. He wanted to show the world he could dominate and win simultaneously.
Four games in, and it’s safe to say Hyland has done well. Minnesota is 3-1 without Edwards, and during this stretch, the former LA Clipper has averaged 20.0 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.0 rebounds, shooting 52.9% from the field, 44.8% from beyond the arc, and 92.9% from the charity stripe.
Hyland has done all of this in just 26.4 minutes. This isn't a lot, given how much he’s scoring. Most players around the league need a good bit more playing time to produce the same.
Hopefully, Lawrence Frank has been paying attention. He needs to be, as Hyland could’ve been thriving for the Clippers if development had been prioritized a bit more than it was.