Just days after being waived by the New Orleans Pelicans, Matt Ryan has re-signed with the Western Conference contender, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Matt Ryan (No, Not That One) Re-Signs With Pelicans
Though the full details of the contract haven’t been revealed, it will be a restructured one-year deal.
Pelicans are re-signing wing shooter Matt Ryan to a restructured one-year deal, sources said. https://t.co/7Gn4sUTk44
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 26, 2024
A three-year NBA veteran, Ryan originally signed a two-way contract with the Pelicans last October. His hybrid contract was then converted to a standard deal in April, allowing him to participate in the playoffs. New Orleans clinched their postseason berth after losing against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Play-In opener but defeating the Sacramento Kings in the following game.
Was Matt Ryan Overlooked?
Interestingly, Ryan played just three total minutes in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. This may be partly due to the Pelicans being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. However, with Ryan playing a bit role in the 2023-24 regular season, it was essentially more of the same.
That isn’t to say that Pelicans head coach Willie Green made the right decision. New Orleans shot just 26.7 percent from 3 against the Thunder. Coming off of a season in which he made a career-high 45.1 percent of his 3-pointers, Ryan probably could’ve helped in that regard.
Maybe Green is an Atlanta Falcons fan, and Ryan’s namesake inspired the wrong images. Nonetheless, with the Pelicans struggling to generate consistent offense due to the Thunder’s on-ball defense, an off-ball threat such as Ryan should’ve been utilized. With two losses by single-digit margins, including one by a single possession, the coaching staff’s inability to maximize their personnel is even more evident.
Do Better Days Lie Ahead?
Ryan may find himself on the court more regularly in 2024-25. His minutes are clearly far from being guaranteed. Nonetheless, there’s an opportunity that wasn’t present in the rotation last season. Naji Marshall, who played 19.0 minutes per game in 2023-24, signed with the Dallas Mavericks this offseason. Larry Nance Jr., who played 19.9 minutes per game in 2023-24, was traded to the Atlanta Hawks this offseason.
Ultimately, the Pelicans’ bench is likely to feature Jose Alvarado, Jordan Hawkins, Trey Murphy III and Yves Missi. In the postseason, a shortened rotation could still lead to Ryan being the odd man out. Nonetheless, New Orleans has an opening for a forward, and Ryan may have enough talent to beat out both Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Javonte Green.
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