Amid their decision to convert Jaylen Clark‘s two-way contract to a standard two-year deal, the Minnesota Timberwolves are signing Bones Hyland to a two-way contract, per ESPN senior insider Shams Charania.
Hyland, selected 26th overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 2021 NBA Draft, will now suit up for his third team. As a reminder, the Atlanta Hawks waived the 24-year-old immediately after the Los Angeles Clippers included him in their package for Bogdan Bogdanovic. He holds career averages of 9.7 points, 2.7 assists, and 0.7 steals per game
Timberwolves Sign Shifty Trade Deadline Target Bones Hyland
Notably, Timberwolves president Tim Connelly was the Nuggets’ lead decision-maker when Denver decided to draft Hyland out of VCU. At the time, Connelly was quoted as saying: “He’s got a flexibility and creativity to his game that’s not super common right now” (h/t Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports).
“He’s got a whole lot of things he brings to the table,” he would add (h/t former Denver Post reporter Mike Singer), before praising the guard’s “infectious energy.”
After converting Jaylen Clark, the Minnesota Timberwolves plan to sign free agent guard Bones Hyland to a two-way NBA deal, agent Austin Walton told ESPN. Hyland will be reunited with Wolves president Tim Connelly, who drafted him in Denver where he was a two-time Rising Star. pic.twitter.com/yhhUh1cm8U
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 26, 2025
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It’s no wonder why Hyland was rumored to be one of Minnesota’s trade deadline targets last season. In fact, per KSTP’s Darren Wolfson, they would have offered the Nuggets more for Hyland than the Clippers did. For reference, L.A. traded two second-round picks for the two-time Rising Star.
What Will His Role Be?
Because players on two-way contracts are ineligible for the postseason, Hyland’s role with the Timberwolves will be particularly limited this season. Nonetheless, he’s a shifty ball-handler with impressive scoring instincts and a genuine desire to maximize his talent. Due to his tangible and intangible traits, he can’t be underestimated so far as his potential impact.
In fact, he has a shooter’s chance of having his two-way deal converted to a standard contract as well.
Donte DiVincenzo is still recovering from a toe injury that’s kept him out since mid-January. On top of that, while Mike Conley‘s being chased by Father Time, Rob Dillingham has hit a rookie wall. As a result, none of their point guards are putting much pressure on the defense right now. If Hyland does see the court, this would likely be the primary reason he was thrown into the fire.
After all, he’s a player who averaged 20.0 points per 36 minutes. His offensive awareness and defensive effort have been questioned since early in his career. Regardless of his reputation though, he’s definitely a player built in the archetypal sixth man mold. With the right instruction, he could eventually be considered one of the league’s better spark plugs.
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