As the deadline approached one of the main questions for Nuggets fans was will the young combo guard Bones Hyland be traded?
In the closing hours of the trade deadline, Hyland was traded to the Clippers in exchange for two second round picks.
Last season Bones was one of the highlights of the team and looked like he was going to be a perennial part of the team going forward. Instead, we will be seeing him play in LA alongside PG and Kawhi.
It was clear before the deadline that Hyland was not seen as a future asset for the team and looked like he was going to pack his bags and head somewhere else in his NBA career.
His last few weeks with the team were not the best, but he was still a good player and one that the team hoped to have for years to come.
His potential was obvious when he played with the team, and he could have been a cornerstone for the team for years to come.
One of his biggest problems was maturity, but he is a young player and has a lot of time to mature as a player and grow. His immaturity was the key reason for his Nuggets departure, but he impacted the game when he played.
The Clippers saw the talent and potential he showcased and jumped on the opportunity when they had the chance. They did not give up much to get him and it could benefit the team that is trying to make a push to make it to the NBA Finals.
The deadline was not a complete waste for the Nuggets, as they were able to acquire Thomas Bryant from the Lakers. The team is still deep, and despite losing Bones, the team has a good chance of making it out of the West.
While Bones was a great player for the team, he was a locker room problem and he would have been a distraction for a team trying to win a championship.
While the trade might hurt in the future if he develops into a great player, for the championship aspirations the teams have right now, trading a problem will come a long way in trying to win a championship.