Kyle Lowry signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on the buyout market in February. Prior to joining the 76ers, though, Josh Hart recently said he tried to pitch the New York Knicks to Lowry, per James Herbert of CBS Sports.

“Yeah, I texted his a*s,” Hart said of Lowry. “I told him, ‘Pull up.' Told him, ‘F**k with us.' But obviously that didn't happen, so f**k him.”

Hart and Lowry are reportedly close friends. Perhaps Lowry had interest in joining Hart in New York, but the veteran guard ultimately ended up in Philadelphia.

The Knicks and 76ers are both competing for a playoff spot. The primary difference is that Philadelphia has fallen in the standings considerably since Joel Embiid went down with an injury. There was a point during the 2023-24 season that Philadelphia was near the top of the Eastern Conference.

Now, however, the 76ers are in eighth place. The Knicks, meanwhile, sit in fourth place as of this story's writing. Jalen Brunson has led the charge but Josh Hart has played a big role for the team.

Hart is averaging 9.1 points per game on 42.6 percent field goal shooting. He is also recording 8.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 0.9 steals per outing. Every good team has important depth players on the roster, and Josh Hart certainly fits that description.

New York has championship aspirations. Overcoming the best teams in the Eastern Conference, such as the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, will be an immense challenge. The Knicks are confident, however.

Meanwhile, Kyle Lowry will try to help keep the 76ers alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race.