Charles

Matthews

It’s roster trimming day and none of these guys will make the cut in Cleveland.

Matthews missed all of last season due to the torn right ACL that he suffered during a pre-draft workout in July 2019, so it’s understandable that some caution would be exercised here. This will be the second straight exhibition that he will miss due to soreness in the knee.

Sexton twisted his right ankle at practice a few days ago, and while the injury is being described as “minor,” there’s just no reason for him to go out there and risk a setback in an exhibition game. With all these guys unavailable, we should get an extended look at Isaac Okoro, and it’s possible he could even start at the two-spot. Sexton should be fine for opening night, and he’s someone to towards the later rounds if you need some scoring.

It’s just brutal news for one of the top perimeter defenders in the draft. Matthews was a candidate to be drafted in the second round and is ranked #60 on ESPN’s latest big board. While there’s still an outside chance of Matthews being selected on draft night, it’s more likely that he’ll have to settle for a two-way contract.

Matthews (6'6/205) made the news official on Wednesday, closing the door on a college career that began at Kentucky. This past season the redshirt junior averaged 12.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.9 three-pointers per game, shooting 43.1% from the field, 29.9% from three and 64.5% from the foul line. Inconsistent as a perimeter shooter, Matthews is at his best offensively off of the dribble and he’s an athletic finisher around the basket. He’s projected to be either a late-second round pick or undrafted free agent this summer.