If the New York Knicks want to keep Garrison Mathews around, they will have to offer him a guaranteed contract. Because he’s not toiling away in the G-League.
The 28-year-old put pen to paper on an Exhibit 10 deal just before training camp. This means his salary will not count against the Knicks’ cap sheet until October 18. They will be on the hook for paying him if he’s on the roster after that.
New York could theoretically waive Mathews, and hope he’s willing to spend time in the G-League with the Westchester Knicks. He’s apparently not on board with that. According to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, Mathews said there’s “no chance” he’d be okay toiling away in Westchester, on the off chance New York can squeeze him into its plans later.
This could be posturing on Mathews’ part. He’s currently battling for one of two—or perhaps one of one—remaining spots on the Knicks’ roster. Publicly giving New York a cop-out option won’t necessarily do him any favors.
Don’t write off Garrison Mathews just yet
Two assumptions are being made as the Knicks near the cut-down deadline: They will make a trade that allows them to sign two veterans rather than one, and those two veterans will be Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet. That may remain the plan. Mathews doesn’t bring the ball-handling Brogdon promises, and Shamet offers both more familiarity with the organization, as well as a touch more defense.
Still, Mathews is giving the Knicks plenty to think about with his flame-throwing from beyond the arc. He is downing over 41 percent of his threes in preseason, on what amounts to more than 11 attempts per 36 minutes. His defense too often verges on nonexistent, and he’s not making things happen from two-point range. But the pressure he puts on opponents whether he’s on or off the ball exceeds that of Brogdon, and what we have seen thus far from Shamet.
New York can ill afford to gloss over Mathews’ brand of gravity. Especially if it buys into current results. Mike Brown has the offense hoisting noticeably more threes, but the Knicks are collectively laying enough bricks to build a to-scale replica of the Empire State Building.
Certain players will inevitably recapture their touch from distance. Jalen Brunson, Deuce McBride, Jordan Clarkson, Guerschon Yabusele, and Towns are all under 30 percent. The same goes for Mathews’ competition, in Brogdon and Shamet. This won’t be the norm. But it’s troubling enough for the Knicks to prioritize one of their few standout preseason shooters.
Mathews’ road to a roster spot could be harder than most assume
As SNY’s Ian Begley notes, Mathews, Brogdon, and Shamet were all signed under the notion they were competing for one roster spot. The rumor mill has all along suggested the Knicks will carve out two spots. Collectively, though, the vets have not stood out enough to guarantee their experience will trounce any youthful upside Tyler Kolek or Pacome Dadiet may hold.
Who knows, maybe Mathews is the call even if New York keeps only one vet. There’s also a good chance he isn’t one of the front office’s top-two choices.
The Knicks’ roster cut-down could go any number of directions. And if that direction doesn’t include Mathews now, it doesn’t sound like he’ll wait around in hopes that changes later.