Perhaps the biggest weakness for the Los Angeles Lakers this season has been 3-point shooting. In anticipation of that, they signed forward Matt Ryan just before the start of training camp.
Before this season, he had played a grand total of five minutes in one game in the NBA. He barely survived roster cuts at the end of camp and made the final roster for Los Angeles.
Head coach Darvin Ham gave Ryan meaningful playing time from the start, and he responded by giving the Lakers a reliable knockdown 3-point shooter.
However, he has played sporadically of late, and he hasn’t gotten as many as 10 minutes in a single contest since Nov. 7.
After Ryan got just two minutes at the end of Wednesday’s 128-109 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, Shams Charania reported the Lakers were waiving him.
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.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 1, 2022
This is a curious move since he is one of only two rotation players for L.A. who is shooting north of 38% from 3-point range.
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