Knicks sign Matt Ryan, Alex Len to compete for training-camp roster spots
Two veterans join a growing group on non-guaranteed deals as New York prepares to open camp in Tarrytown next week
The New York Knicks signed guard Matt Ryan and center Alex Len to non-guaranteed contracts on Tuesday, adding two veterans to a training-camp roster that will be finalized when camp opens next week at the team’s Tarrytown practice facility.
Both players will compete for spots on the Knicks’ senior roster. Ryan, 28, appeared in 19 games for New York last season after joining the club in early November and was waived in March. Len, 32, spent most of the past four seasons with the Sacramento Kings and is familiar to new Knicks coach Mike Brown, who coached Len for three seasons in Sacramento.
The moves add to a contingent of players on non-guaranteed deals vying for limited roster spots. New York has already signed veterans Malcolm Brogdon, Landry Shamet and Garrison Mathews to non-guaranteed agreements; those three are viewed as leading candidates for guaranteed spots. The Knicks hold restricted cap space that currently supports one veteran on a guaranteed deal, and league sources expect the club to free another slot via trade before the regular season.
The Knicks can bring as many as 21 players into training camp and have committed to carrying at least 20. The club also holds three two-way contracts, which are reserved for players who will spend most of the season in the G League. Because both Ryan and Len have accrued too much NBA service time, neither is eligible for a two-way contract.
New York also signed former Brooklyn forward Tosan Evbuomwan to a training-camp deal; he is expected to compete for one of the two-way spots. The team has worked out additional free agents at its Tarrytown facility, including guard Dennis Smith Jr. and forward Trey Jemison III. Jemison was still under consideration for a camp contract as of Tuesday morning but had not signed.
Ryan, a Westchester County native who attended Iona Prep, briefly factored into coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation after his November arrival last season before being waived in March. Len, the former fifth overall pick in 2013, brings size and experience to a frontcourt group that will be evaluated through practice drills and preseason games.
Training camp decisions will hinge on performance in practices and exhibition play, roster construction needs, and any in-season moves the Knicks execute to create additional guaranteed slots. The team’s evaluation period begins next week, when players report to the Tarrytown practice facility to begin preparations for the 2025-26 season.
