There's no denying that it's been a rough postseason for Bones Hyland, who emerged as an unexpected hero for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the regular season. Hyland is averaging just 5.4 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.4 rebounds, on 32.6/27.6/87.5 shooting splits in the playoffs. Over the past three games, Hyland is 0-for-12 from the field.
Perhaps a Game 3 at home is exactly what Hyland needs to get back on track. However, right now there's no denying that he's struggling mightily.
The Wolves could certainly use his extra bench scoring and creation. While Hyland's struggles are certainly unfortunate, the hidden benefit is that it could be cheaper to re-sign him this offseason.
Bones Hyland's playoff struggles will make re-signing him cheaper
Listen, Hyland was never going to earn some lucrative contract. Nevertheless, money is tight for the Wolves as they are trying to avoid the dreaded tax aprons. This is especially the case since Ayo Dosunmu (the other half of Twin Turbos) needs a new deal this summer.
Dosunmu's contract will likely prove to be costly. His all-around impact as a finisher, spot-up shooter, defender, and playmaker makes retaining him essential. As such, the Wolves will likely pursue some cost-cutting moves to afford Dosunmu's new contract.
A strong postseason from Hyland could have made his next contract hover around the $10 million mark (likely a bit less), which, in turn, could have led to him leaving in free agency.
If Hyland's struggles persist, though, it's fair to expect that the Wolves could re-sign him for slightly more than a minimum contract or perhaps even the minimum.
Given Hyland's slight frame and generally erratic style of play, it's not exactly shocking that he has struggled in the playoffs.
Still, during some of his high points in the regular season, it looked like Hyland could be on the verge of establishing himself as a super sub. At this point, though, it feels reasonable to say that Bones isn't a top-eight-level player on a championship team.
However, the Wolves have ample depth that they don't need to rely on Hyland too much.
Likewise, as a spark plug bench scorer, he can still play a valuable role for the Wolves, especially in the regular season. Tim Connelly has always had an affinity for this style of player and has a noted close relationship with Bones. Thus, it's easy to see a world where the Wolves want to bring Hyland back.
Overall, Hyland's playoff struggles are largely unfortunate, and it's clear that his game doesn't translate well to high-leverage situations, but he still provides some nice depth and scoring, which is valuable on a cheap deal.
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