Garrison Mathews

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Mathews was a dual-sport athlete at Franklin High School in Franklin, Tennessee, playing both basketball and football. At Lipscomb, he dedicated himself solely to basketball for the first time. He became one of the top players in program history, setting the school's Division I-era records in single-game scoring, career scoring, and three-pointers made. As a junior, Mathews led the Bisons to their first NCAA tournament. As a senior, he was named Atlantic Sun Player of the Year and first-team All-Atlantic Sun. He also led Lipscomb to a runner-up finish at the 2019 NIT. Mathews scored 44 and 34 points in the tournament's quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, to help the Bisons reach the championship game, in which they were defeated by Texas. Mathews averaged 20.8 points per game as a senior and scored 2,478 career points in college.

In Their Own Story

The arena lights hummed over State Farm Arena as the game hung in the balance. The Hawks' offense stalled against a suffocating defense, but then the ball swung wide to the corner. Garrison Mathews caught it, his feet already set, eyes locked on the rim. There was no hesitation, only the practiced rhythm of thousands of repetitions. He released the shot just as the defender lunged, watching the orange sphere arc high and true before swishing through the net with a satisfying net-snap that echoed through the crowd.

Reader's Guide

After going undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft, Mathews signed a two-way contract with the Washington Wizards. He made his NBA debut on October 23, 2019. On December 30, 2019, he scored a career-high 28 points in a win over the Miami Heat. He later signed with the Boston Celtics but was waived, then claimed by the Houston Rockets, who converted his two-way deal to a four-year, $8.2 million standard contract. On February 9, 2023, Mathews and Bruno Fernando were traded to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Justin Holiday, Frank Kaminsky and two future second-round draft picks. He made nine appearances for the Hawks in the remainder of the 2022–23 season, averaging 4.8 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.6 assists. In the 2023–24 season, he made 66 appearances (five starts) for Atlanta, averaging 4.9 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.6 assists. In the 2024–25 season, he played 47 games (two starts) for the Hawks, averaging 7.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. On September 16, 2025, Mathews signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the New York Knicks, but was waived on October 18. He then signed a 10-day contract with the Indiana Pacers on November 20, 2025, later re-signed to a second 10-day contract, and then signed a non-guaranteed standard contract for the remainder of the season. In 15 appearances (one start) for the Pacers, he averaged 5.2 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.7 assists. On December 26, 2025, he was waived by Indiana. On August 18, 2026, Mathews signed with Olimpia Milano of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A and the EuroLeague.

Did You Know?

• Mathews set Lipscomb's Division I-era records in single-game scoring, career scoring, and three-pointers made.
• He scored 44 and 34 points in the 2019 NIT quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.
• Mathews went undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft before signing with the Washington Wizards.