The Denver Nuggets have traded Bones Hyland to the L.A. Clippers.
Hyland, 22, is an exciting young scoring guard who made NBA All-Rookie Second-Team last season. Now in his second professional season, he is now averaging 12.1 points and 3.0 assists per game. He is shooting 37.8 percent on 3-pointers.
While he was originally drafted by the Nuggets, the former VCU standout initially expected to get selected by the Clippers in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Here is what Hyland explained to former NBA player JJ Redick when he was a guest on his podcast (via The Old Man and the Three):
“Two weeks before I was supposed to come out here [to Denver] for a draft workout and I told them no … I rolled my ankle … My range was like 15 to 23 or something like that. I was like, ‘Yeah, it’s over for Denver. I ain’t going out there.’ And the Clippers told my agent that they was going to pick me … They told me they were going to take me. So I’m like, ‘Yeah. I’m going to the Clippers.’”
You can watch the clip below, which begins around the 44-minute mark:
This was fascinating insight from Hyland, who finally gets to play in Los Angeles.
The Clippers originally had the No. 25 pick but traded it to the Knicks in order to move up and select Keon Johnson at No. 21 overall. Hyland was then selected by Denver at No. 26 overall.
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