Report: Knicks Could Re-Sign Veteran Sharpshooter

Matt Ryan may make a comeback ... with the New York rather than the Atlanta Falcons.

Per Ian Begley of SNY, the Knicks are said to be interested in bringing back the sharpshooter Ryan, no relation to the accomplished NFL thrower of the same name, who briefly spent time in the New York system last season.

An Empire State native, Ryan, 28, hails from Valhalla in Westchester County and previously attended Iona Prep. After a collegiate career that visited Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, and Chattanooga, Ryan entered the pros with the Denver Nuggets G League club in Grand Rapids before entering the Boston Celtics' system in 2022. Ryan has also repped the Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and New Orleans Pelicans.

Ryan entered the Knicks' system last season when G League Westchester made him the top pick in the developmental draft, followed immediately by the injured (and newly-re-signed) Landry Shamet. He would sign a two-way deal with the Knicks and appeared in 19 games with the Manhattan club, averaging 1.5 points in under four minutes a game before he was waived in March.

Dec 21, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New York Knicks forward Matt Ryan (37) during warm ups before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Ryan has developed some form of staying power as a sharpshooter, shooting just over 40 percent for his career. New York has spent the final pre-camp weeks of the offseason assembling further backcourt help to potentially assist in that regard: in addition to Shamet, New York also brought in 2023 Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, as well as deep ball specialist Garrison Mathews.

The Knicks continue to compile names for their training camp roster, which can hold just over 20 names as they prepare to build upon last season's Eastern Conference Finals showing. Ryan is the latest among the backcourt candidates and, interestingly enough, not the first ex-Knicks that could earn a homecoming, as the team also worked out former point guard Dennis Smith Jr., who is said by Begley to have "played well in informal scrimmages" with rostered New Yorkers.

All those players and more will compete for what stands as one guaranteed veteran contract, though New York could well engineer a trade that will open up a roster spot or two.

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