Pelicans Release Sharpshooting Forward Again, Per Reports

New Orleans trims their roster down to 13 after reportedly releasing forward Matt Ryan on Thursday.

Apr 5, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Matt Ryan (37) looks on against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half at Smoothie King Center. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

HoopsHype Michael Scotto reported the New Orleans Pelicans released forward Matt Ryan on Thursday. The Pelicans released the former undrafted three-point shooter last month as a cost-cutting measure. His $2.2 million contract would have been guaranteed on opening night. New Orleans brought him back a few days later on a non-guaranteed contract. Now, Ryan is looking for a new home before the season starts.

New Orleans defeated the Orlando Magic 106-104 in their opening preseason game, with Ryan playing 8 minutes but going scoreless on 0/3 attempts from the field. He played the fewest minutes for any Pelicans player in the game.

The former Notre Dame Fighting Irish standout signed with New Orleans on a two-way contract before the start of last season. Ryan played well in the season's opening month, averaging 9.7 points on a sizzling 53.2% shooting from beyond the arc during November. He appeared in 28 games last season, and the Pelicans converted his two-way contract into a three-year standard deal worth $6.1 million.

His journey into the NBA is a unique one.

Ryan went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft and didn't catch on with a team. The COVID-19 pandemic even limited his ability to play in the G League. The 6-foot-6 forward worked for DoorDash as a delivery driver during this time and also worked the day shift at his grandfather's graveyard business in White Plains, NY.

He caught on with the Clevland Cavaliers summer league team the next season before joining the G League that year.

His first big break came in 2022 when he made the Los Angeles Lakers roster. Ryan famously hit a three-pointer at the buzzer at the New Orleans Pelicans to send a game into overtime. Los Angeles won that game in overtime. The Lakers released him, and the Pelicans picked him up to start the next year.

It was also reported that New Orleans released guard Adonis Arms, who was also on a non-guaranteed contract. The Pelicans signed Arms to an Exhibit 10 deal after spending two years with the Memphis Hustle of the G League. Both contracts will not affect the team's salary cap, and New Orleans is still slightly over the cap. The team has never payed the luxury tax in it's franchise history and the expectation is the team will make a move during the season to dip under the tax threshold again.

New Orleans opens its regular season on Oct. 23 against the Chicago Bulls at the Smoothie King Center.