Knicks Release Sharpshooting Veteran Guard

Mathews, who spent the last two-plus seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, appeared in four preseason games for the Knicks, totaling 27 points. He dressed but did not partake in the preseason finale against the Charlotte Hornets, which served as a de facto dress rehearsal for regular season action despite several of the main men (i.e. OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns) sitting.

His most notable performance came in the Minnesota Timberwolves' visit last week, which saw him miss the game-winning shot in regulation before sinking two triples in overtime en route to a 100-95 triumph. Overall, Mathews was 7-of-17 with an extra point on the line in the exhibition quartet.

While Mathews has reportedly appreciated his time in New York, he told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post that he came in with the idea of landing a rotational spot and would not accept a spot with the G League club in Westchester ... assuming one's there to offer if he even clears waivers. His sharpshooting abilities, to the tune of a career three-point shooting percentage of 40.5 percent, should assure that he gets another job fairly quickly, as he placed fourth among qualified shooters in such success rate with the Hawks in 2023-24.

How the Knicks' backcourt picture shakes out will be one of the most intriguing questions that will be answered this weekend, the last before New York opens its regular season against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 22: Brogdon's sudden retirement opened up a potential rotation spot, one that could well serve as the top spell option for franchise face and team captain Jalen Brunson. Mathews' supposed departure could well mean that several familiar faces return, including incumbent depth star Landry Shamet and homegrown talents like Pacome Dadiet and Tyler Kolek. The latter duo saw their names included in recent trade rumors, though Kolek got 14 minutes of action in the preseason-closing win over Charlotte.