Nuggets GM reveals why team chose Porter Jr. over Bones Hyland
DENVER (BVM) – By the time the deal happened last season between the Denver Nuggets and guard Bones Hyland at the NBA trade deadline, a separation was probably viewed as the best possible outcome for both.
The Nuggets netted two future second-round picks from the Los Angeles Clippers in the swap and Hyland got an opportunity to find himself back in the rotation on a team that was looking for a scorer to come off the bench.
While the deal seemed to be your typical mid-season trade deadline swap from a contending team looking to lock down its rotation heading into the later months of the year, Denver general manager Calvin Booth’s recent honest explanation proved to be arguably the most surprising part.
“I knew you couldn’t have two guys that couldn’t guard, and we couldn’t have two guys that were young and kind of more ‘me guys,’” Booth told The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor. “[Michael Porter Jr.] makes $30 million. He’s one of the best shooters in the NBA. So, Bones, there’s no place for you.”
Booth’s surprisingly candid remarks get back to his vision of roster construction. The Nuggets general manager shared that the team picked between Hyland and Porter and didn’t think the roster would work the way they wanted with both players on the team. Booth went further into his philosophy when discussing some of the former Clippers’ teams during the mid-2010s and why there ended up being a downfall there.
“Overlap is a silent killer,” Booth said. “Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan both helped define that team, but they lacked the ability to space the floor, and neither was a great perimeter defender.
“Both have the requisite skills for the position, and both were kind of undersized.”
That idea helped the Nuggets find additional time for rookie Christian Braun following the deal for Hyland, who became a major factor during the team’s playoff run that eventually ended with an NBA Finals win.
Hyland’s time in Denver was most certainly over before the official move, regardless of Booth’s philosophy, as both looked for a separation leading up to that date. Hyland even returned to a loud majority of boos at Ball Arena later on in the season, once again showcasing the disconnect between the franchise and the player.
