Lakers Waive Sharpshooter In Oddly-Timed Move

The Los Angeles Lakers wanted to free up a roster spot in advance of the Dec. 15th date when many players around the league become available for trade. But with that date still two weeks away, they've gone ahead and waived sharpshooter Matt Ryan now. 

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

The 25-year-old wing player made the team out of training camp, and hit one of the biggest shots of the Lakers season a month ago, when he drained a three at the buzzer to force overtime against the New Orleans Pelicans.  

MATT RYAN SENDS THE GAME TO OVERTIME!!!pic.twitter.com/c2aTBWUv68

— 𝙏𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣’ 𝙉𝘽𝘼 (@_Talkin_NBA) November 3, 2022

The Lakers are obviously getting ready to make a deal of some sort, however, as the extra roster spot was important enough for them to make the move now. As of Dec. 15th, most players who signed contracts over the summer will become eligible to be traded, significantly opening up trade talks around the NBA. There's no telling, though, why they decided to waive Ryan two weeks in advance.

The youngster was on a non-guaranteed contract; he'd only played less than 15 minutes total since Nov. 11. Even while on the bench, however, he proved himself to be a great teammate.

In addition to being a great shooter, Matt Ryan is also an A+ in-game teammate. Watch him on the sideline, dude is cheering up a storm. https://t.co/FVw6DM5wc2

— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) December 1, 2022