Getty Matt Ryan of the Boston Celtics.
Following a standout performance during the 2022 NBA Las Vegas Summer League, many have wondered if the Boston Celtics plan to bring back Matt Ryan for the 2022-23 season and beyond. Brian Robb was asked about it while taking questions for his mailbag on July 29, 2021, and he revealed what the future might hold for Ryan in Boston.
Despite the ankle injury, Summer League couldn’t have gone better for him. The Celtics did fill up their two-way slots though so the best he can hope for right now is probably an Exhibit 10 with a outside shot of making the roster with a strong camp. There will be plenty of names in contention for that (Brodric Thomas, Justin Jackson, Free agent big X) so it will be an uphill climb for him. However, it’s likely a waiting game for now as Celtics consider other moves.
After all the moves that they have made, the Celtics have three open roster spots at the moment. Besides their flashier offseason moves – trading for Malcolm Brogdon and signing Danilo Gallinari – the Celtics re-signed Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet to give them 12 players on their roster. The Celtics also signed second-round pick JD Davison and Mfiondu Kabengele to two-way spots, so Ryan can’t be signed to that specific contract like he was towards the end of the 2021-22 season.
If the Celtics decide to bring back Ryan, it would continue what has been a pretty inspiring story.
Ryan Got Emotional After Summer League Victory
On July 11, 2022, the Celtics entered a rematch of the Eastern Conference Semifinals when they faced off against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Las Vegas Summer League. With the game tied at 108 a piece and 6.3 seconds left, Ryan took the ball up the court and hit the game-winning shot, all while spraining his ankle in the process.
MATT RYAN FOR THE WIN
After Ryan hit the game-winning shot, he got emotional while talking to reporters after the game. Ryan reflected on the journey he took to get to this point, including having to work for Doordash to pay the bills.
“It’s pretty emotional. It’s been a crazy 11 months,” Ryan said. “I was home for a year and half. I don’t know if you had heard my story, but [I was] driving Door Dash a year ago. To be here, to be part of the Boston Celtics roster, it’s special.”
Ryan certainly raised some eyebrows while at the 2022 Las Vegas Summer League. If one person has taken notice of who he is as a player, it’s Celtics Head Coach Ime Udoka.
Udoka Praised Ryan During Summer League
In light of Ryan’s success during the 2022 Las Vegas Summer League, Udoka praised Ryan for what he brought to the Celtics locker room during their playoff run from the first round against the Brooklyn Nets to the finals against the Golden State Warriors.
“Matt’s been great,” Udoka said. “He’s been an integral part of our team, I think. He’s undervalued at times – what those guys bring to our team. Maybe they’re not getting the playing time, but they’re grinding, and the connection they make with the guys is big. He’s a member of the team that brought a lot to the table this year… What he brought to the team this year on the bench, the energy, and the professionalism every day is invaluable to our team.
Time will tell if Ryan will return to the Celtics, but if he does, it appears Udoka values what he would bring to the team.