The New York Knicks filled out their roster completely by making three roster moves this week. They signed veteran sharpshooter Matt Ryan to a non-guaranteed contract, elevated Ariel Hukporti’s two-way contract into a standard deal, and signed former Northwestern guard Boo Buie to a two-way deal.
The Knicks signed wing shooter Matt Ryan
Ryan and Hukporti are the two most notable moves, as those two may actually see playing time on the Knicks this season. Ryan, a career 41% shooter from beyond the arc, has played 63 career NBA games spanning three seasons. He was taken with the first overall pick in the G-League draft by the Knicks’ affiliate, the Westchester Knicks.
With Landry Shamet out with a shoulder injury, the Knicks waived him to create room to sign an additional player. New York had just 12 players on standard NBA deals for the first two weeks of the season and needed to have at least 14 by Tuesday. Ryan’s salary becomes fully guaranteed on Jan. 7, though it is unclear if he will be waived before then or remain with the team.
Ryan could find his way into the rotation right away, as injuries have hampered their bench depth significantly. He brings some size and lights-out shooting to the table, two things that the Knicks desperately need off the bench.
The Knicks converted Ariel Hukporti’s contract into a standard deal
As for Hukporti, the seven-footer from Germany was impressive during the preseason and could become the team’s backup center fairly quickly with Jericho Sims struggling through the early part of the season. The big man played 12 minutes against the Cleveland Cavaliers last week and did a solid job defending Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Hukporti was taken with the 58th overall pick in this past year’s draft. The initial expectation was that he would spend a season on the bench, but the trade for Karl-Anthony Towns and the injuries to Precious Achiuwa and Mitchell Robinson changed that expectation as he could now be a critical part of the rotation at least at the start of the season.
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The Knicks added Boo Buie on a two-way deal
The Knicks were able to sign Buie as a result of converting Hukporti’s deal as it opened up a two-way spot. Buie signed a non-guaranteed deal with New York during the preseason and has now returned to the team, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The 6-2 guard played five collegiate seasons at Northwestern, where he averaged 14.7 points per game across 149 games. His accolades include being named to First Team All-Big Ten twice and being the winner of the Lefty Drissell Award this past season, an award that is given to Division 1’s best defensive player.
