Players tend to feel loose and comfortable during NBA All-Star Weekend, which means there is always a chance for a few candid and insightful interviews. In a press conference for the NBA Jordan Rising Stars, Denver Nuggets fans got a glimpse of Bones Hyland's mindset in his last days in Denver before being dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers on the Feb. 9 trade deadline.

Things were not all rosy with head coach Michael Malone and his staff, especially regarding communication.

“Just talking to me, just letting me know what’s going on. Stuff like that. I feel like it was just so low,” Hyland said per The Denver Post's Mike Singer. “I’m just going into the locker room every game, just not knowing. As professional athletes, as a coach, you talk to your players, let them know what’s going on. Even if you don’t, at least another coach come to you and stuff like that. I just feel like I didn’t have anything like that.”

Hyland did say his relationship with the Nuggets front office was strong, with the two sides maintaining constant contact leading up to his trade. The lack of clarity he felt he was getting from the bench, though, clearly had an affect on the 22-year-old's morale.

Hyland's future in Denver seemed bright only a year ago after the team had selected him near the end of the first round in the 2021 NBA Draft. He Added some perimeter shooting in his 19 minutes of action during his rookie season but saw his playing time barely increase in the 42 games he played for the Nuggets this season.

Both parties clearly needed a fresh start. The Nuggets (41-18, first in West) have benefited tremendously from the return of Jamal Murray and have not needed as much frontcourt reinforcement. The Clippers, however, could definitely put Hyland's near-38 percent from 3-point shooting to good use. He could be a vital part of their bench by the time the postseason arrives.

As for now, both Hyland and Malone are in Salt Lake City, so hopefully there communication has improved a lot in the last week or so. Perhaps they can grab a cup of coffee?