Reports: Matt Ryan, LA Lakers' fan favorite sharpshooter being waived by the team ahead of December 15 trade date

The LA Lakers made a fairly surprising roster move on Wednesday night by cutting fan-favorite sharpshooting forward Matt Ryan. The news came after the Lakers cruised to a 128-109 win over Portland. It was first reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Charania added that the move clears up a roster space ahead of Dec. 15th when players signed over the summer become trade eligible.

“The Lakers are waiving wing shooter Matt Ryan, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Ryan impressed in stint with L.A., shooting 38.2 percent from 3, including a clutch shot in win over Pelicans in November. The move opens up a roster spot for Lakers ahead of Dec. 15 trade date,” Charania said.

Matt Ryan made the LA Lakers’ final roster spot in the preseason and was on a non-guaranteed contract. Ryan averaged 3.9 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.3 assists per game in 12 appearances for the Lakers this season. He also shot 37.1% from three on 2.9 attempts per game.

Ryan made the Lakers’ biggest shot of the season when he drilled a game-tying buzzer-beating 3-pointer against New Orleans to force overtime on Nov. 2nd. The Lakers went on to win the game 120-117, one of their eight wins this season.

Matt Ryan was also a fan favorite due to his unique backstory. Ryan went undrafted out of college in 2020. While trying to work his way into the NBA, he then delivered food for DoorDash and worked as a landscaper at a cemetery.

Outside of his 12 games for the Lakers, Matt Ryan also played in one game for Boston last season. So Ryan has now played a total of just 13 career games in the NBA over the last two seasons. It remains to be seen if the 25-year-old forward will be able to land another NBA opportunity.

LA Lakers possible moves following the release of Matt Ryan

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner

As for the specific targets the Lakers have in mind following the waiving of Matt Ryan, those are unclear. However, with 14 players under contract, LA now has the option to take back an additional player in a trade.

The Lakers have previously been reported to be interested in a deal involving Indiana Pacers veterans Buddy Hield and Myles Turner. If they want to, the Lakers can now do a two-for-one swap involving Russell Westbrook without having to waive anyone else on their roster.

The Lakers could also be waiving Matt Ryan to sign a different free agent. Ryan is very limited in what he offers as a 3-point specialist, so perhaps the team wants to add some more versatility to their roster.

However, the timing of the move is a bit surprising considering a recent report from Jovan Buha of The Athletic. On the latest episode of ESPN LA’s “Lakers Talk,” Buha told Allen Sliwa that LA’s front office doesn’t think they can judge their roster yet. The Lakers reportedly feel that various injuries and the recent suspension of veteran guard Patrick Beverley have made it hard to evaluate the team’s ceiling.

“Everything I’ve heard from multiple sources is that Dec. 15 is the date they are now targeting. I had initially heard and reported that Thanksgiving range, 20-25 games, but the truth is the Lakers don’t feel like they have a great grasp on this team,” Buha said.

He continued:

“And with LeBron missing multiple games, with AD missing a couple of games, with Dennis and Thomas not starting the season healthy and then those guys now emerging as key rotation players, Pat Beverley being suspended as well... yes, they’ve had the Big 3 for 10 of the 19 games and they are only 3-7 with those three playing together, but overall they want a little bit more of a sample size to determine ‘What do we have here, which pieces fit, which pieces don’t fit and who do we want to keep, who do we want to flip?"

So it doesn’t seem like the Lakers have made a firm decision on exactly what route to go as far as trades are concerned. Nonetheless, with 14 players under contract, the Lakers now appear one step closer to making a consequential move this season.

Also read this: Top 5 ex-Lakers who are without an NBA team, featuring Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, and more

Or this: Myles Turner focused on present amidst trade rumors - “Just go out there and focus on getting wins”