Juan Ocampo
Matt Ryan certainly didn’t need to wait long to find a new job. Only a week after getting waived by the Los Angeles Lakers, the undrafted sharpshooter and fan-favorite has landed a two-way deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski.
Ryan was one of the feel-good stories of the early season, especially for a Lakers team that didn’t have many positives to hold onto. Undrafted in 2020, Ryan worked as a landscaper for a cemetery and a deliver driver for DoorDash before eventually catching on with the Celtics last season. He signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Lakers in the offseason, and after impressing at training camp and in the preseason, the Lakers kept him on the roster to open the season.
He made 13 3-pointers in 12 games, but will always be remembered for perhaps the biggest shot of the season for the Lakers. In the closing seconds of a regular-season game against the Pelicans, Ryan made a game-tying 3-pointer that sent the game to overtime. The Lakers went on to win, and that victory was the difference between 2-10 and 1-11 for a Lakers team that has bounced back of late.
Yet with Dec. 15 looming as a date when the trade market will open up, the Lakers took their first step towards roster flexibility by waiving Ryan. They have not filled his roster spot since. Now he’ll have a chance to start fresh for a Minnesota team that sorely needs shooting while the Lakers continue their search for reinforcements around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
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