Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant will not turn 25 years old until later this month, but he is already a five-year NBA veteran. In a group of young players that looks ready to overtake the NBA, Morant is also someone that players even younger than him look up to.
LA Clippers guard Bones Hyland went viral on Friday for his 53-point performance at the Ball Don’t Stop Pro-Am in Canada. Just 23 years old, Hyland has yet to establish himself as a consistent rotation player in the NBA, but has shown flashes of his upside.
In a post on X, Morant sent a message to Hyland, writing, “real hoop game.”
Traded to the Clippers from the Denver Nuggets at the 2023 NBA trade deadline, Hyland has been stuck behind Hall of Fame point guards each of the last two seasons. Russell Westbrook also joined the Clippers shortly after the 2023 trade deadline, and the team added James Harden at the start of last season, which pushed Hyland out of the rotation entirely.
In four NBA seasons, Hyland has averaged 10.0 PPG in 18.1 minutes per game. Putting on a show in one of LA’s final games of the 2023-24 season, Hyland finished with 37 points, nine assists, and four rebounds in a close loss.
It remains to be seen if Hyland will be with the Clippers next season, as the team has a guard-heavy roster that may not give him a clear path to minutes.
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