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Matt Ryan won’t be back with Celtics next season amid roster crunch

MIAMI, FL - MAY 17: Matt Ryan of the Boston Celtics warms up before Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Finals on May 17, 2022 at FTX Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Matt Ryan was one of the fun stories of the 2021-22 Celtics season, going from a Doordash delivery driver before the season began to inking a two-way contract with Boston in March.

However, a league source tells MassLive that Ryan is expected to resume his career elsewhere next season amid a roster crunch in Boston. He’s not expected to be back for the 2022-23 campaign as Adam Himmelsbach first reported.

Ryan had a strong performance in Las Vegas Summer League for Boston back in July, averaging 19 points in two games including a buzzer-beating game-winning 3 against the Bucks.

“It’s pretty emotional,” Ryan said postgame after the win. “It’s been a crazy couple of months. I was home for a year-and-a-half. To be here, to be a part of the Boston Celtics, it’s special. I’m just happy.”

The sharpshooter sat out the remainder of Summer League with an ankle injury that he suffered in the win over the Bucks. However, Boston’s offseason roster overhaul, which included sizable upgrades to the team’s bench shooting with Danilo Gallinari and Malcolm Brogdon has limited roster spots available for a player like Ryan.

The team already inked JD Davison and Mfondu Kabengele to two-way contracts after standout performances in Summer League, leaving Boston with few remaining open spots available on the 15-man roster. The team has been in the market for more seasoned NBA players with size (Noah Vonleh, Bruno Caboclo) to compete for those spots so far and it’s likely Boston will be bringing in some athletic wing options (Justin Jackson, Brodric Thomas) for the final opportunities. Denzel Valentine is also a candidate to be signed as well per multiple reports after playing with the Maine Celtics last year.

Boston still has a few potential options they are considering outside of Jackson, Thomas and Valentine for camp roster spots (the team can carry 20 total players during training camp). However, with the team finding more shooting elsewhere and having inked Sam Hauser to a guaranteed deal already, Ryan is expected to latch out with a team elsewhere.

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