According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Minnesota Timberwolves have signed Bones Hyland to a contract. Though Hyland has a solid skill set, the move doesn’t make a ton of sense for the Wolves, as they already have Rob Dillingham. And if Minnesota wants Dillingham to reach his full potential, they should be fully focused on him.
Mike Conley has been running the show for the Wolves for the past few years, aiding Anthony Edwards on his two runs to the Western Conference finals. But as they look to find his eventual replacement, Dillingham could be poised to take a leap. Yet, for some reason, they decided to bring a very similar player on board.
It doesn’t make much sense.
Why shouldn’t Wolves have signed Bones Hyland?
In theory, Hyland is a high-energy, score-first guard who can provide a nice punch off the bench. In reality, he hasn’t been able to stick with any of the teams that have taken a flier on him in the early stages of his career.
He began his career before being traded to the LA Clippers midway through his sophomore season after an impressive rookie campaign. However, he only spent a season and a bit there before moving on to the Wolves, who decided to bring him back (at least for training camp).
During the course of his four seasons in the NBA, Hyland’s minutes have slowly ticked downward, as has his efficiency, despite having a bounce-back year from three last season.
Last year, in 24 appearances with the Clippers and Wolves, Hyland only managed to see the floor for 9.9 minutes per contest. He averaged 6.2 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 39.8% from the field and 39/0% from deep range.
Unfortunately for Hyland, his scrawny frame and smaller stature make it harder for him to keep up on the defensive end, much like Dillingham. In fact, he and Dillingham are virtually the same archetype of player, though the latter has more upside at this point in his career.
Minnesota invested in Dillingham on draft night back in 2024, and he should be the focal point of their efforts at the guard position in terms of development, especially with Conley getting up there in age (for an NBA player).
Hyland is a fine player to bring on board, but making him anything more than a training-camp guy could cut into Dillingham’s development. And that’s not something the Wolves should want to mess around with.