Revealed: The Grim Details Of What Led To Bones Hyland's Nuggets Fallout

Bones Hyland suddenly fell out of favor in Denver, leading to his trade out of town last week. But what was at the root of it all? Was it his questionable defense? Or some reported "friction" with the coaching staff?

According to Michael Singer of The Denver Post (h/t NBA Insider Marc Stein), much of it stemmed from an incident during a game on January 22nd. 

Sources say Bones Hyland's Denver exit was essentially rendered inevitable after he walked off the bench late in a home loss to Oklahoma City on Jan. 22. As punishment, Hyland was forced to fly commercial to New Orleans for the first game of the Nuggets' subsequent three-game road trip and made inactive for that game against the Pelicans.

In addition, Hyland's fit off the bench alongside Jamal Murray in the backcourt presented problems. With Hyland's defensive challenges, Murray was forced to guard the opponent's more dangerous backcourt player anytime Bones was on the floor, "which was a source of frustration for Murray" reported Singer. "Offensively, they didn't gel either," continued the story. "On some possessions Hyland submarined the offense, undermining Murray, the team's second-best player. Other times, Murray bypassed Hyland."

Singer even notes that it was questionable if Hyland would have even made the postseason rotation, should he still have been with the team.

That's all been taken care of, as Hyland is now with the Los Angeles Clippers, who have always taken an interest in the now 22-year-old. And the Nuggets have added the backcourt help they were looking for, by signing the newly-bought-out Reggie Jackson (ironically, from the Clippers, making it essentially a Hyland-for-Jackson swap for Denver).

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