Denver Nuggets GM reveals why he ‘knew’ he had to trade young guard

Denver Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth didn’t hold back in a recent interview with The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor. The two discussed numerous topics during their conversation, one of which was the departure of former Nuggets guard, Bones Hyland.

Booth told O’Connor that he knew that he had to trade Hyland last season, due to his lack of ability on the defensive end of the floor.

“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 said. “Mike [Porter Jr.] makes $30 million. He’s one of the best shooters in the NBA. So, Bones, there’s no place for you.”

Booth dealt Hyland as part of a four-team trade involving Denver, the LA Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Orlando Magic. As part of the deal, the Nuggets landed center Thomas Bryant.

In his season and a half in the Mile-High City, Hyland averaged 10.9 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 40.1% from the field and 37.1% from beyond the arc.

Calvin Booth believes that the Denver Nuggets can win 3 or 4 more titles

Another interesting aspect of Booth’s chat with O’Connor was his goals for the team going forward. The GM revealed that he thinks that his squad should win a total of three or four NBA championships when all is said and done.

“Our guys are tired. It’s going to be hard to repeat,” Booth told O’Connor. “But if everything is optimized, we should win three or four [titles].”

Of course, the Nuggets are riding high after coasting to their first-ever NBA title last year. Throughout the course of the postseason, they lost a total of just four games on their way to the top.

They enter the 2023-24 season amongst the favorites to take home the Larry O’Brien trophy. Only the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks have better odds to do so, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.