Undoubtedly, the Minnesota Timberwolves bench depth and guard play have been problematic all season long. With Rob Dillingham failing to develop, the Wolves turned to Bones Hyland in mid-December, and he's provided some quality minutes. However, as has been the story for much of his career, Hyland has been wildly inconsistent.
Overall, Hyland is averaging 6.7 points and 2.5 assists on 45.5/35.8/66.7 shooting splits. When the Wolves broke their five-game losing streak on Monday, Hyland notched 17 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Regardless, during their losing streak, Hyland averaged just 3.4 points while shooting 38.9 percent from the field.
Now, a trade deadline move for a point guard may change things. Still, it's fair to expect that Hyland will remain in the rotation after the deadline -- and if he's playing real minutes, he'll need to provide some real scoring. Furthermore, the Timberwolves might instead look to upgrade their wing depth with a player like Keon Ellis.
As it stands, the Timberwolves have a nine-man rotation, and Hyland is the second most trusted scorer off the bench after Naz Reid. Thus, even with a trade, it's fair to expect Hyland to remain a key part of the Wolves' rotation past the deadline.
Hyland will likely still be an important part of the Wolves' rotation
Sure, he might not be as crucial if the Wolves indeed trade for a point guard. Yet, depth has never been more important in the NBA, and Hyland's impact as a microwave scorer off the bench will continue to be vital.
At his best, Hyland is a fantastic sparkplug off the bench. When he's struggling, though, Hyland provides little to no value. His small frame limits his effectiveness as a defender. And while Hyland is a solid playmaker, he isn't a table setter in any way. He will always give the Wolves a nice change of pace, but that's not nearly as valuable if his shot isn't falling.
The reality is that Hyland has always been an inconsistent player, and that's something the Wolves will have to live with. Again, a deadline move could change things. Nevertheless, given the Wolves' limited assets, getting two impactful role players (without giving up a rotation player) isn't realistic. As such, it feels likely that Hyland will still be counted on to provide some level of bench production.
Simply put, in today's NBA, you need at least eight high-quality players, and there's a good chance Hyland will be in the top eight even after the deadline. Maybe they value Jaylen Clark's defense, or Terrence Shannon Jr. has a resurgence. Mike Conley playing heavy minutes is still a strong possibility, but at some point, they have to cut ties with him.
Of this group, the offensive upside of Hyland is the highest, and as a result, they'll likely still need him to play some real minutes after the trade deadline.