The Los Angeles Clippers have added a versatile guard to their backcourt. Per Woj, the team has traded for Denver Nuggets youngster Bones Hyland, with the Clips sending a pair of future second-round picks to the Mile High City in return.
This is a good move for Los Angeles. Hyland has really shown a lot of promise this season in Denver after a respectable rookie campaign last year. In 2022-23, the former VCU standout is averaging 12.1 points, three assists, and 2.1 rebounds per night with a 28% usage rate, basically serving as the star of the second unit. However, he's voiced frustration with a lack of boost in minutes, still sitting around 19 per game.
The Clippers of course have limited depth at the guard position with John Wall failing to make much of an impact. Plus, he's either going to be traded or bought out after the deadline. LA has also been linked to Russell Westbrook, who is also nearing a buyout with the Utah Jazz following Wednesday's trade.
It's slightly puzzling that Denver would ship off one of their top bench players, but they must have something up their sleeves. Hyland's scoring and playmaking should undoubtedly improve Ty Lue's group and give them a nice offensive punch in the second unit.
The Nuggets currently sit in first place in the West with a 38-17 record, while the Clippers are 31-27, which puts them in sixth. With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George finally healthy and hopefully a couple of new additions by the end of the trade deadline, this team is certainly trending in the right direction.
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