At the trade deadline last season, the New York Knicks were looking to add a versatile player on the wing who could do a little bit of everything. Their options were limited at first, but when the Portland Trail Blazers made Josh Hart available, the Knicks looked no further than the former Villanova Wildcat as the key addition they needed.
Since drafted with the last pick in the first-round of the 2017 NBA Draft, Hart has made an impact in more ways than one with the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, Trail Blazers and now the Knicks. He can defend multiple positions, he's a very strong rebounder despite being listed at 6'5″, he's always willing to make the extra pass and best of all, Hart is always the first diving on the ground for loose balls.
Given the gritty and tough mindset the Knicks play with every night, Hart ended up being a perfect fit with this organization. There was a lot of talk in the offseason regarding whether or not the team would agree to a new contract with the 28-year-old since he owned a player option for the 2023-24 season and could have opted to become an unrestricted free agent. However, Hart decided to pick up this $12.9 million option for the upcoming year and he is now set to become a free agent next summer.
The Knicks and Hart seem to be a match made in heaven and both parties appear very happy with one another. This is why he will likely earn himself a new contract in New York. On Thursday while at Team USA's training camp ahead of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Hart was asked about a potential contract extension with the Knicks and the possibility of him remaining in New York long-term.
“Hopefully,” Hart said regarding a possible extension, via Ethan Sears of the New York Post. “Opting in, I was gonna take it one day at a time. We get there and then we can start having that conversation. Hopefully — that’s a place where I want to be and a place I want to call home. So we’ll see.”
In 25 regular season games with Hart in their rotation, the Knicks went 17-8 and were able to claim the 5-seed in the Eastern Conference. For the first time since 2013, New York advanced past the first-round of the playoffs, as they took down the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. Hart ended up averaging 10.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in the postseason.
“I felt like it was home when I got there,” Hart continued. “So now I’m just excited to be in the Garden for a full 41-plus, hopefully. And just having that New York vibe, that New York energy behind us.”
The Knicks won a total of 47 games last season, their most wins since the 2012-13 season. Things are trending upwards right now for New York and Hart's impact to this organization has been immeasurable. They want to keep him long-term and he wants to stay with this team for the foreseeable future, which is why it is just a matter of time before he earns himself that new, likely four-year contract.