Knicks to sign shooter Matt Ryan to contract, rounding out roster

When the Pelicans waived Matt Ryan during the preseason, it was a question of when another NBA team would snap up the sharpshooter, not if.

The when is Nov. 4 and the who is the New York Knicks, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and since confirmed by multiple other reporters.

This is likely a non-guaranteed minimum contract deal, which would get the Knicks to the required minimum of 14 roster players before the deadline (more on that below). If it is non-guaranteed, the Knicks could waive Ryan once Landry Shamet gets healthy following his shoulder surgery, then re-sign Ryan on a two-way contract, something Ian Begley of SNY.TV suggested.

Ryan, a White Plains, New York native, brings one elite skill to the table: Shooting. Ryan shot 45.1% from 3 in 28 games for the Pelicans last season, and for his career, he has taken almost 80% of his shot attempts from beyond the arc and has hit 41.1% of them. He has also played for the Celtics, Lakers and Timberwolves in his career.

This move, along with the Knicks converting Ariel Hukporti to a standard rookie contract from a two-way deal, these are moves the franchise was required to make this week.