Getty Wesley Matthews
Indiana Pacers swingman, Wesley Matthews is vocal and that’s a great thing actually.
Such was the case recently when he lamented on the fact that the Portland Trail Blazers did not give him his just due.
“I was in Portland for five years and didn’t get a tribute,” Matthews told NBA scribe Landon Buford after the Pacers played the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas late last month.
That was Matthews’ first return back to Dallas after being traded to the New York Knicks in the deal that brought Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavs and shipped Dennis Smith Jr. to the Knicks.
If you’re keeping score at home: Matthews left Portland as the franchise’s leader in 3-pointers with 826 from 2010-15. Additionally, Matthews made 616 3-pointers for Dallas between 2015 and when he was traded in January.
The Mavericks did give Matthews a video in his return to Dallas.
“It felt good,” said Matthews. “It really did and I was surprised because of the tribute. I appreciate and I’m grateful for everyone here in Dallas. The coaching staff, the fans.”
Per USA Today: Matthews is the first undrafted NBA player to make 1,500 career 3s. His career 3-point percentage is 38.2.
After accepting a buyout with the Knicks, He’s Matthews signed with a successful Indiana Pacers team that currently sits in third place in the NBA’s Eastern Conference and he’s fit seamlessly.
The injury to Victor Oladipo, the league’s reigning Most Improved Player, who was diagnosed with a ruptured quad tendon in his right leg,opened a roster spot for Matthews with Oladipo missing the remainder of the season.
Let’s really, really, really, really hope that Vic is alright. Oladipo goes down with an apparent knee injury and it didn’t look good. #Pacers
This season, Oladipo was averaging 18.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals.
Per CBS Sports’ Chris Bengel: It’s an injury that’s fairly rare for basketball players and extremely challenging to return from. “I’m a positive butterfly,” Oladipo said recently.
“Sure, it might be connected, but who knows. I’m not focused on the past because I have no control over that just like I have no control over the future.”
This season, he’s pretty much at his career average of 13 points per game.
While still a member of the Mavs, earlier in the regular season, Matthews was averaging 19.6 points in 33 minutes of action. Matthews knows a thing or two about the road to recovery after suffering a season ending stress fracture in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies last season.
Matthews sought the help of core expert, Jessica Schatz during last offseason to become whole again and it worked. The pilates approach seems to be working.“I love it.” he said earlier in the year.
“Injuries typically happen when there are small weakness in the muscles and parts of the body that you would not train.”
While Matthews is living his best life, there was interest in a potential pairing with he and the Philadelphia 76ers before he ultimately signed with the Pacers.
Appearing on Philadelphia’s 97.5 The Fanatic earlier this month, I shared with host, Jamie Lynch that the Philadelphia 76ers and Wesley Matthews did have mutual interests.
Matthews doesn’t see it that way.
“I didn’t talk to anybody from Sixers,” Matthews told Buford.
Many factors likely changed Matthews’ mind. Between late January to now, he’s been traded to the Knicks from Dallas, accepted a buyout from New York and ultimately signed with the Pacers.
A few transactions happened between then.
Firstly, with an already impressive roster that includes Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler, the Sixers made a splash at the NBA trade deadline.
In a six-player trade on February 5, the Sixers shipped Landry Shamet, Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala, a 2020 lottery protected first round pick, a 2021 first-round pick and a 2021 and 2023 second round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic and Mike Scott.
Where the heck would Wesley Matthews fit in with that equation in Philadelphia?
“I mean it’s [Philadelphia 76ers] a great organization. They were on my list for consideration, but wasn’t like I did a college recruiting tour.”
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