The start of this New York Knicks season ended three metropolitan tenures.
The Knicks announced the respective waivings of Alex Len, Garrison Mathews, and Matt Ryan, making necessary cuts over the weekend as opening night against Cleveland looms. The departures come less than 24 hours after the Knicks ended their preseason slate with a 113-108 win over the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden.
Perhaps the most surprising departure of the bunch is Mathews, who was said to be battling for a spot in the primary rotation after signing in September. Known for his sharpshooting abilities from deep, Mathews was 7-of-17 on three-pointers in four preseason showings. Two came in the overtime session of last week’s win over Minnesota.
Mathews’ departure was first reported by Ian Begley of SNY. A hint of his fate came in the box score of the game against the Hornets, as Mathews did not take the floor despite the Knicks resting several major men, including OG Anunoby and Josh Hart.
The former Atlanta Hawk’s deep ball abilities, which saw him place fourth in percentage during the 2023-24 season, should endure that he gets picked up fairly quickly. Mathews told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post that he was not interested in a stint with the Knicks’ G League club in Westchester.
The Knicks’ backup backcourt situation endured a rollercoaster week, as Mathews’ fellow September signing Malcolm Brogdon also unexpectedly announced his retirement after nine NBA season. That more or less secured spots for incumbent depth star Landry Shamet, while the Knicks also get to keep young homegrown projects Pacome Dadiet and Tyler Kolek rather than include them in a cost-cutting trade.
Despite their relative familiarity, Len and Ryan were likely always long-shots to make the roster: Ryan played 19 games with the Knicks last season while Len previously worked with new head coach Mike Brown during their shared time in Sacramento. Both were primarily used in late-game situations during this last preseason run, which saw New York win four of five exhibitions.
As it stands, the Knicks now have 17 men on their roster, with current cap policies affording them a chance to add another without going into the restrictive second salary apron two weeks into the season. All three two-way deal slots shared with Westchester remain filled, those contracts currently carried by Tosan Evbuomwan, Trey Jemison III, and the returning sophomore Kevin McCullar Jr.
