Finding free players worth signing during the NBA summer is a difficult assignment.
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The majority of players deserving of a guaranteed NBA contract have already been inked weeks ago. A few players are in limbo, with Isaac Okoro standing out as a restricted free agent, but teams with an open roster place don’t have many options.
That’s what makes Friday’s headlines so intriguing. The New Orleans Pelicans dismissed forward Matt Ryan before his contract was guaranteed, putting him on waivers and maybe allowing another team to pick him up.
Who is Matt Ryan?
Not to be confused with the MVP-winning NFL quarterback, basketball player Matt Ryan was a college journeyman who entered the NBA draft pool after spending his senior year at Chattanooga. He went undrafted in 2020 and has spent time in the G League with the Celtics, Timberwolves, and Lakers.
He burst into the NBA scene at the start of last season, when the Pelicans claimed him off waivers on a two-way contract and promptly put him in the lineup as their 3-point shooter. Ryan shot 45.1 percent from deep on 8.4 tries per 36 minutes, accounting for 80.5 percent of his total shots.
With that shot diet, his true-shooting % was an impressive 63.8 percent, ranking him seventh among non-bigs and in the Top 40 leaguewide. He is a pure shooting specialist in a league that requires more shooting than ever.
Why did the Pelicans waive him or them? It wasn’t for basketball reasons; they didn’t cut him to sign a demonstrably superior player. They presently have 14 guaranteed contracts, and there has been no news on whether they would sign someone to fill his slot.
The Pelicans waived him for solely financial reasons. The Pelicans as an organization are utterly unwilling to pay the luxury tax for any club, regardless of its competitiveness. At the end of the day, an NBA franchise is a business, and the Pelicans’ owners aim to maximize profits by never crossing that line. It is a de facto hard cap for the team.
The Pelicans are a few million dollars over the tax line, and Matt Ryan’s $2.2 million deal was supposed to be guaranteed on the opening day of the season. New Orleans’ primary priority is to get out of the luxury tax, followed by assembling the finest squad possible. That meant Ryan had to leave.
How can the Raptors benefit?
Ryan is now on waivers, which permits NBA teams to claim him under his current contract. If numerous teams file claims, the team with the highest “priority” will be granted his contract, which is arranged in the offseason by reverse rankings from the previous year.
That means just a few clubs are ahead of the Raptors in waiver priority, giving them a great chance of obtaining him if they so desire.
Should they choose? The Raptors needed to improve their shooting this summer, and although they have done so in some areas, they could use more. Furthermore, despite being only 6’6″, Ryan plays bigger than his height, which is why he played 70% of his minutes at front last season. He could come off the bench behind or alongside RJ Barrett.
Gradey Dick is a good shooter, if not an excellent one. Immanuel Quickley is a great shooter. Kelly Olynyk is a strong candidate for the role. But deadeye shooters don’t grow on trees, and Ryan is deeply unconscious. He could play an important part this season as their young bunch of wings guards develop.
The cost would be basically zero. Furthermore, if anything changes between now and the start of the regular season in two months, they can always dismiss him or include him in a trade. If they waive him, he may be willing to return on a two-way contract.
Claiming Ryan would be a remarkably low-cost flier on a guy who may greatly benefit them, made possible by the Pelicans’ cheapness. Those clever, on-the-edge actions are what help franchises construct a team that fans will root for.
