Matt Lauer -- I'm Not Saying There's a Ray Rice Interview, But ... (VIDEO)

Matt Lauer had every opportunity to say he does not have an interview lined up with disgraced NFL star Ray Rice, but he didn't.

As TMZ Sports first reported ... NBC sources told us Lauer snagged an interview with Rice and wife Janay. Our Rice sources say nothing is set in stone for him ... that "Today" is more interested in Janay, but our NBC sources say that's not true -- Rice is the prize.

So when our photog spotted Lauer in NYC Wednesday morning and mentioned the Ray interview, Lauer said repeatedly no "announcement" had been made. Interesting.

BTW ... how cool is Matt?