Knicks Re-Sign Matt Ryan To Two-Way Contract
7:19pm: The Knicks have officially signed Ryan and waived Buie, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter links).
3:17pm: The Knicks intend to re-sign Matt Ryan to a two-way contract after he clears waivers, sources tell Fred Katz and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link). Ryan was cut from the standard roster on Sunday, so he’ll officially become a free agent at 5:00 pm ET today.
New York will waive two-way player Boo Buie in order to create a spot for Ryan, according to Katz and Edwards.
Ryan, 27, signed a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract with the Knicks in November when they needed to add two players to their roster to get to the required minimum of 14. Ariel Hukporti, who had been on a two-way deal, was promoted to the standard roster at the same time Ryan was signed to get New York back to 14 players.
Known as a sharpshooter, Ryan has played for the Celtics, Lakers, Timberwolves, and Pelicans since making his NBA debut in April 2022, but has struggled to earn regular playing time. That was the case again this fall with the Knicks, as he appeared in just nine games, scoring 15 total points in 45 minutes. While the sample size was small, he was unable to get his three-point shot going in those outings, making just 3-of-14 (21.4%).
Still, Ryan – who is in his fourth NBA season – is the type of plug-and-play veteran capable of contributing in a pinch, so after cutting him to make room on the standard roster for Landry Shamet, the Knicks will bring him back at the expense of a developmental rookie in Buie.
An undrafted first-year pro out of Northwestern, Buie has yet to make his regular season NBA debut, having only played for the Westchester Knicks in the G League so far this season.
Assuming Ryan returns to the Knicks ahead of Wednesday’s Christmas Day game, he’ll be eligible to appear in up to a maximum of 32 more NBA games this season (a prorated portion of the usual 50-game limit).
Eastern Notes: Shamet, Nets, Lillard, Middleton, White
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau is happy to have Landry Shamet back on his roster after the veteran wing recovered from the dislocated shoulder he suffered during preseason with the team. Praising Shamet for his leadership and ability to play multiple positions, Thibodeau said the 27-year-old had a “great” training camp and was deserving of a roster spot once he was healthy.
“He’s been around, he’s played in big games,” Thibodeau said (Twitter video link). “He knows how to play off people extremely well. The three-point shooting, he can handle the ball (or) play off the ball.”
After officially re-signing with the Knicks on Monday, Shamet was active for the club’s game vs. Toronto and made a brief appearance in the fourth quarter with 84 seconds left and New York holding a 16-point lead. He made a 13-footer on his first possession for the Knicks’ final points of the night.
“I was so amped up today, man, I’ve been chomping at the bit for a while,” Shamet said after the win, according to Peter Botte of The New York Post. “It just felt good to be back in the building, suit it up, be with the guys, lock in on a game plan, and be a teammate. I’m just grateful that I felt good to get in the game there at the end and kind of just see the first one go in.”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Injured Nets guards Cam Thomas and Ziaire Williams are nearing their respective returns, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who says both players participated in 5-on-5 action on Monday. “It seems like they’re getting close,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. Thomas (left hamstring strain) has been out since November 25, while Williams (left knee sprain) hasn’t played since Dec. 1.
- Bucks guard Damian Lillard missed Monday’s game due to an illness, but the calf issue that sidelined him on Saturday has improved, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “He’s doing much better,” head coach Doc Rivers said. “I expect him to possibly be ready (for Thursday’s game vs. Brooklyn), but then he gets sick.” Rivers, who jokingly referred to the illness affecting Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and other Bucks as the “Vegas flu,” clarified on Monday that the bug began circulating before the NBA Cup semifinals. “About a week before Vegas, (this illness) has gone down the chain of guys getting sick, but it happens,” Rivers said.
- With Lillard and Antetokounmpo unavailable vs. Chicago on Monday, Bucks forward Khris Middleton looked like his old All-Star self for a second straight game, scoring a team-high 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting in just 23 minutes to lead the club to a comfortable 21-point victory. Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has the story.
- Coby White‘s .414 FG% and .358 3PT% are his lowest marks since his rookie year, and he has been especially struggling as of late, shooting 27.8% on three-pointers since Nov. 27. But the Bulls guard isn’t using ankle and groin injuries as an excuse, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network, and his teammates aren’t worried about him, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “There’s ups and downs throughout an NBA season,” Zach LaVine said on Monday. “We’ll all be OK.”
Sixers’ KJ Martin Out At Least Two Weeks With Foot Injury
Sixers forward KJ Martin underwent an MRI on Tuesday, which revealed a stress reaction in his left foot, the team announced (Twitter link via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports).
Martin will be reevaluated in approximately two weeks, according to the 76ers.
Martin was expected to have a modest role in Philadelphia this season, but injuries up and down the roster opened the door for him to play regular minutes and he secured a rotation spot with his strong play in recent weeks. Since November 24, he has started six of 12 Sixers games and averaged 8.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per contest, with a .614/.375/.867 shooting line.
Wings Caleb Martin, Eric Gordon, and Ricky Council, along with forward/center Guerschon Yabusele, are among the candidates for increased roles for as long as KJ Martin on the shelf.
Martin’s recovery from his left foot injury will also be worth monitoring for trade purposes. He re-signed with the team over the summer on a two-year, $16MM contract that is non-guaranteed for the second season, making it a de facto expiring deal. Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George are the only three players on the roster earning more than about $8.15MM, and they certainly won’t be going anywhere, so Martin, at $7.98MM, is among of the highest-paid trade candidates on the roster.
Martin will become trade-eligible on January 15.
Latest On Zion, Ingram, Other Injured Pelicans
Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, who has been sidelined since November 6 due to a left hamstring strain, has entered the “return to play conditioning phase” of his rehab process, according to a press release from the team.
The expectation, per the Pelicans, is that Williamson will resume practicing in full next week. He’s considered week-to-week as he nears a return to action.
The former No. 1 overall pick has been limited to just six appearances this season. He averaged 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in 31.0 minutes per game across those six outings. Although the Pelicans won just two of those six games, they’ve been significantly worse without Williamson available, winning just three of the 24 contests he has missed.
The Pelicans’ other star forward, Brandon Ingram, has been on the shelf since December 7 due to a “significant” left ankle sprain. According to today’s announcement, Ingram is still in the “early treatment and recovery phase” of his rehab and will be sidelined for the foreseeable future. The plan is to reevaluate him in two weeks, the team says.
New Orleans lost the game in which Ingram was injured and has subsequently dropped all six games he has missed as well.
Here are a few more injury updates from the Pelicans:
- Fourth-year guard Jose Alvarado, out since Nov. 11 with a left hamstring strain, is at the same stage of his rehab as Williamson, having entered the “return to play conditioning” portion. Like Zion, Alvarado is on track to practice in full next week and will be considered week-to-week going forward.
- Swingman Trey Murphy injured his left ankle in Sunday’s game vs. Denver, but the injury isn’t considered serious. He has been diagnosed with a mild left ankle sprain and will be considered day-to-day.
- Rookie big man Karlo Matkovic, who last played on December 1, is in the return to play conditioning phase of his rehab from a low back disc protrusion. He’s week-to-week, according to the club.
Dru Smith Diagnosed With Torn Achilles Tendon
Heat guard Dru Smith has been diagnosed with a torn left Achilles tendon, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the injury will end Smith’s season.
Smith exited Monday’s game due to a lower left leg injury that was immediately feared to be significant. His wife joined him as he headed off the court to the locker room, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link).
Smith, who went undrafted out of Missouri in 2021, spent his first professional season in the G League, then made his NBA debut with the Heat on a two-way contract in 2022/23. He appeared in 24 total games with Miami and Brooklyn over the next two seasons, but saw his ’23/24 campaign come to an early end last November when he sustained a torn right ACL.
After being waived by the Heat in March, Smith earned another shot with the club this season, signing a two-way deal in July and claiming a rotation spot in recent weeks upon fully recovering from his ACL tear, impressing the team with his defense.
In his eight most recent games prior to Monday’s contest, the 6’2″ guard had averaged 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.3 steals in 26.1 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .532/.560/.769.
Tearing an Achilles one year after tearing an ACL would be a brutal turn of events for any professional athlete, but the timing is especially awful for Smith, who appeared to be on the verge of being promoted from his two-way deal to Miami’s standard roster. The Heat, who traded Thomas Bryant to the Pacers on December 15, have until Dec. 29 to add a 14th man to their roster, since NBA rules only permit teams to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time.
With Smith on the shelf, Miami could opt to promote one of its other two-way players (Keshad Johnson or Josh Christopher), call up a player from its G League affiliate (such as Isaiah Stevens), or sign a veteran free agent.
The league-wide salary guarantee date isn’t until January 7, so the Heat could give their new 14th man a non-guaranteed contract and cut him at that time, essentially giving that player a de facto 10-day contract while they continue to consider their options. Teams can carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to 28 total days in a season, so Miami would be able to dip down to 13 for another two weeks at any time after re-adding a 14th man on Dec. 29.
Since Smith was on a two-way contract, the Heat won’t be eligible to apply for a disabled player exception.
Pacific Notes: Kuminga, Gillespie, Suns, Lakers
Prior to Monday’s game against Indiana, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters that Jonathan Kuminga‘s recent shot selection and decision-making had been “poor” and that he had spoken to both Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski about making better decisions, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN relays.
Kuminga responded with one of his best games of the season off the bench. In just under 30 minutes of action, he racked up 26 points, eight rebounds, and four assists while only turning the ball over once.
“This is the JK we want,” Kerr said after the game, per Youngmisuk. “Spent a lot of time in the paint, took care of the ball. Had a couple really nice passes. Found Buddy (Hield) for three on a beautiful play and really attacked. So this is a great example of how JK needs to play. I’m really proud of him for coming out, playing that way. … He’s getting better, and it’s fun to watch his development.”
Kuminga started six straight games earlier this month, but has come off the bench for the past three. Kerr has suggested the change isn’t necessarily permanent, but noted last week that the club sets a better defensive tone with Draymond Green starting alongside a center. Kuminga, whose role has fluctuated frequently since he entered the league in 2021, said he’s gotten used to the unpredictability and isn’t letting it faze him.
“From where I come from, you always got to be mentally tough,” Kuminga said. “A lot of people that are playing … if they were in my shoes, they’ll quit basketball. They’ll need a therapist. They’ll go through a lot of mental situations. But that thing don’t affect me. As long as I go out here every day and just play, be with my teammates, (they) keep encouraging me to be who I am every day.”
We have more from around the Pacific:
- Suns two-way guard Collin Gillespie, who was diagnosed last month with a right ankle fracture, is hoping he’ll be able to return to action shortly after the G League’s regular season begins next week, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I haven’t really talked to the coaches about it, but I’m sure that’ll be the plan of making sure I check off all the boxes here, individual workouts,” Gillespie said. “Play 2-on-2, 3-on-3 and just build it up until I’m ready to go 5-on-5. Then I’m sure once they get back from break (between the Winter Showcase and regular season), they’ll have some home games that I’ll be able to play. Hopefully get some reps there.” The Valley Suns, Phoenix’s NBAGL affiliate, will play their first regular season game next Monday.
- A year ago at this time, the Suns had a 14-14 record. This year, despite an 8-1 start, they’re 14-14 again. Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports explores why the team is being plagued by the same issues as last season and considers whether those issues are fixable.
- The Lakers‘ offense ranks 29th in the NBA over the past four weeks and head coach J.J. Redick believes the team’s shot selection is a big part of the reason why, as Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group writes. “Over the last 13 (games), we’re taking five more non-paint twos – we’re shooting 39% on those,” Redick said. “… Those five extra non-paint twos, if we shot them at the same rate as Phoenix – who shoots 49% on non-paint twos – our offense would go from 29th to 27th. … If we took those five middies and we shot league average on threes, our offense would go from 27th to 12th. In some ways, we need to shoot more threes and we need to make more threes. That doesn’t mean we come down and just, no pass, one dribble shot. We’ve got to generate the right ones and we’ve got to do it with the right process.”
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Miller, Smith, Christopher, Risacher
After getting off to a decent 4-5 start this season, the Hornets have plummeted down the standings over the past month-and-a-half. Monday’s loss to Houston, Charlotte’s 13th in its last 14 games, dropped the team to 7-22 on the season and inspired a players-only closed-door meeting after the game, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
“I feel like we established ourselves in the first 10 games as a team that plays physical,” forward Miles Bridges said. “At one point we were leading the league in offensive rebounding. We’ve just got to get back to that. We had a great conversation. Taj (Gibson) really got us together in the locker room — players only — and he talked to us. I talked to the team, Taj talked to us a lot. I feel like that really got to us, so I feel like these next couple games we’re going to see who really wants to play.”
Bridges is the longest-tenured Hornet, having been with the organization since 2018. Gibson is a newcomer, but he was brought in to be a “meaningful voice in the locker room,” Boone writes. The veteran big man played that role in Monday’s meeting.
“I think them talking to us, I think they both said what everybody is thinking,” center Mark Williams said. “I think it just starts with us. We’ve got to be tougher, got to play harder. Just do all the things it takes to win. Just got to have some pride out there. I think we just lacked that tonight.”
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Hornets forward Brandon Miller has missed the past three games due to a sprained ankle, but he was initially listed as questionable for Monday’s game before being downgraded to out and appears to be on the verge of a return, per Boone. “The last couple days he’s rejoined some group activities that we’ve had. I think he’s really making good progress,” head coach Charles Lee said. “After (Monday’s) game, we’ll continue to evaluate him and see where he is maybe after Christmas.”
- According to both Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald and Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Heat had been planning to promote guard Dru Smith from his two-way contract to a standard deal in the coming days in order to get back to the required 14-man minimum. That plan is now up in the air after Smith exited Monday’s game with a lower left leg injury. He’s undergoing an MRI on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury, as Chiang relays. “Obviously, the air went out of the building seeing him fall like that,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It wasn’t a contact injury. I don’t know the extent fully right now. I don’t want to pontificate until we get the MRI. But, yeah, we were all messed up for a while.”
- Heat two-way guard Josh Christopher was the best player John Hollinger of The Athletic saw at the G League Winter Showcase in Orlando. As Hollinger writes, Christopher has improved his shooting and decision-making and is no longer simply getting by on his athleticism. While it remains to be seen whether or not there will be NBA minutes available going forward for the former No. 24 overall pick in the wake of Smith’s injury, Christopher did make his Heat regular season debut on Monday, logging a couple garbage-time minutes in a win over Brooklyn.
- Hawks rookie forward Zaccharie Risacher didn’t get to play for the French national team at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, but this year’s No. 1 overall pick hopes to represent his home country in future international tournaments, starting next summer, as he tells Benjamin Moubeche of BasketSession (hat tip to BasketNews.com). “The French national team is a childhood dream,” Risacher said. “It’s always something special. Every competitor wants to win medals for their country, and for me, it would be an immense honor to represent France at the (2025) EuroBasket.”
Pistons Notes: Cap Room, Fontecchio, Klintman, Gores
Team executives who spoke to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) at the G League Winter Showcase over the weekend identified the Pistons as an important team to watch as the February 6 trade deadline approaches.
Detroit is the only NBA club currently operating under the cap, with about $14MM in room available. Many teams around the league are either prohibited from taking back extra salary due to their position relative to the tax aprons or will be unwilling to take back extra salary due to their proximity to the tax line. Those financial restrictions should put the Pistons in a great spot to be a third-team facilitator in one or more pre-deadline deals.
While $14MM is a nice chunk of room, it could disappear quickly depending on which player(s) the Pistons take back, so the front office will likely be careful about which deal(s) it makes, using that limited cap space as leverage to try to extract the best possible assets from its potential trade partners.
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- Simone Fontecchio, who re-signed with the Pistons in July on a two-year, $16MM deal, has played a modest role off the bench this season, with his minutes declining to 18.2 MPG after he averaged 30.3 MPG down the stretch last season. However, the veteran wing had one of his best games of the year on Monday in Los Angeles, scoring 13 points on a perfect shooting night (4-of-4 from the field and 3-of-3 from the line) as Detroit completed a series sweep over the Lakers, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. The Pistons, who won the game by three points, outscored L.A. by 19 in Fontecchio’s 19 minutes on the court.
- The 37th overall pick in this year’s draft, Bobi Klintman spent most of the fall recovering from a calf injury and was active for the first time of the season on Monday. Although Klintman didn’t play at all, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said it was good to have the rookie forward around the team and available to play. “It’s great for him to have an opportunity to be part of the team he was drafted by,” Bickerstaff said (Twitter link via Sankofa). “… He had an odd injury that held him back and it was a long road.”
- Roughly a year after he told reporters during a record-setting losing streak that changes were necessary, Pistons owner Tom Gores told Hunter Patterson of The Athletic and other media members at halftime on Monday that he’s “really proud” of what he’s seen from the team this season. Detroit has hired a new head coach (Bickerstaff) and head of basketball operations (Trajan Langdon) since last year and Gores praised both men for the jobs they’ve done so far. “He’s got a steady hand,” Gores said of Langdon. “He’s doing incredible work organizing us. Same as the way J.B. is, so I give him a lot of credit.”
- In case you missed it, Cade Cunningham won a Player of the Week award for the first time in his four-year career on Monday.
Nuggets’ Malone, Porter Address Trade Rumors
The Nuggets and forward Michael Porter Jr. have been at the center of one of the biggest trade rumors so far this season, with reports indicating that Denver is exploring the possibility of making a deal for Bulls guard Zach LaVine. Porter’s cap hit of nearly $36MM would be necessary for matching purposes in a trade for LaVine or any other trade target earning a significant salary.
Addressing that rumor – along with one from Marc Stein and Jake Fischer suggesting the Nuggets are considering the idea of trading Porter – head coach Michael Malone said prior to Monday’s game vs. Phoenix that there’s more smoke than fire on the rumor mill, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.
“A lot of it is noise. I mean, I don’t know where it comes from,” Malone said. “You see different things that are out there, and you never want that stuff getting out there. But I’ve talked to (general manager) Calvin (Booth), and Calvin’s had a good pulse on that stuff. And whenever that stuff is happening, he’s in touch with the guys and their agents to let them know what is real and what is not real. And as of right now as we are 25 games into the season, there’s nothing to that.”
Malone added that he wants his players focusing on what they can control rather than “worrying about the wrong thing.” He also lauded the Nuggets’ front office for the job it has done over the years communicating with the players and making sure they’re not caught off guard during trade season.
Speaking to reporters after Monday’s game, Porter – who scored 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting in a 27-point blowout win over the Suns – agreed that the front office has been good about touching base with him as trade rumors have swirled.
“They’ve reached out to me and said it’s all noise,” Porter said (Twitter video link via DNVR Sports). “There’s nothing serious going on, and if there was, they’d let me know. They’ve said they love how I’m playing and to keep being aggressive, and they have no desire to move me right now.
“But I also know that they wouldn’t tell me if they wanted to move me,” Porter added with a laugh. “But they have reached out, yeah.”
Porter is averaging a career-high 18.3 points per game through his first 27 games this season. He’s also contributing 6.9 rebounds and a career-best 2.8 assists per night, with impressive shooting percentages of 51.8% from the field and 38.8% on three-pointers.
However, the 26-year-old has never been considered a defensive asset, and his maximum-salary contract – which includes two more years and $79MM+ in guaranteed money beyond this season – makes him Denver’s most logical big-money trade chip.
Asked if being the subject of trade rumors is stressful, Porter downplayed his concern, noting that he understands it’s part of the business and pointing out that he’s been “blessed” not only to spend his entire career so far with one team, but to win a championship with that club.
“When stuff like this comes up, I don’t think I take it personally,” the veteran forward said, per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette. “You have those moments where you’re like, ‘Man, I want to be here,’ or whatever the thoughts (are) that go through your head.
“But I think for me, I’ve overcome so much in my life. I’ve gone through so much with my family. I’ve gone through so much personally that little stuff like a trade rumor, I kind of leave that stuff up to God. I kind of have zero stress about it, because I know wherever I end up, it will be meant to be. I love where I’m at, and I love playing with these dudes. I think we have a chance to get rolling and do something special, but to answer your question, it’s not stressful for me.”
Knicks Notes: Cap Situation, Starting Five, Hart, Anunoby
After waiving Matt Ryan and signing Landry Shamet, the Knicks are operating approximately $535K below their hard cap for the 2024/25 season.
Ryan will count toward the cap for $621,439 in dead money, while Shamet’s new cap hit is $1,343,690, though he’ll technically earn $1,682,008 if he remains under contract beyond January 7 on his minimum-salary deal (or if it’s already fully guaranteed, which has not been confirmed).
Due to that small gap between their team salary and the second tax apron, New York will be unable to fill their 15th roster spot until later in the season, once the prorated veteran’s minimum dips low enough to fit below the hard cap.
Their cap situation could change if they continue to swap players in and out of that 14th spot, if they sign anyone to a 10-day contract, or if they make an in-season trade. But based on their current team salary, the Knicks would be able to add a veteran as a 15th man as of March 1, when the cap hit for a prorated minimum deal would be $527,878.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Good injury luck – along with an aversion to load management – has allowed the Knicks to establish cohesion with their new-look starting lineup, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. The team’s five starters have missed a total of just three games (two for Karl-Anthony Towns and one for Josh Hart) and the group has played a league-leading 459 minutes together, posting a +7.0 net rating. Only two other five-man lineups around the NBA have logged more than 250 minutes so far this season.
- While the Knicks were in New Orleans over the weekend for a game against the Pelicans, Hart credited his former head coach Willie Green for “changing the trajectory” of his career. Hart was a Pelican when Green took over as the team’s coach in 2021. “He was my third coach in three years,” Hart said, according to Bondy. “Coming off Stan (Van Gundy), where I probably had one of the worst years of my career. And Willie just kind of believed in me. I didn’t want to come back (to New Orleans), but I talked to him and we got on the same page at the beginning of that year. … He trusted in me as a player, but more so as a person. And that really gained my confidence. … He changed things for me.”
- The Knicks raised eyebrows over the offseason when they re-signed OG Anunoby to a five-year deal worth $212.5MM, the most total guaranteed money any team committed to a free agent in 2024. But Anunoby is rewarding the team’s belief in him so far — he hasn’t missed a game this season, has increased his scoring averaged to 16.6 points per game, and – as Steve Popper of Newsday writes – has continued to play his usual form of lock-down defense. “I know OG puts a lot of guys in jail,” Hart said on Saturday. “He’s someone we’re good with putting him on the island with whoever, big or small, and he’s going to change shots. I don’t understand how he does half of it. … He’s a monster to a defense all by himself and he should be a first-team or second-team All-Defense for sure. We’re comfortable with that matchup against him and anybody.”