D’Angelo Russell of the Los Angeles Lakers shoot a three point basket against Josh Hart of the New York Knicks.
or some time now, it has been rumored that trade-deadline acquisition Josh Hart is expected to opt out of the final year of his three-year, $37.9 million deal with the New York Knicks and test the 2023 free agency market. However, the expectation is that in doing so he’ll likely decide to re-up with the orange and blue on a longer-term contract.
Though all of this at the moment is simply just hearsay, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report has gone as far as to predict that the veteran wing will, in fact, be staying put in the Big Apple for the long haul.
“The 28-year-old became an integral part of this rotation almost overnight. New York fared a whopping 17.1 points better per 100 possessions when he played than when he didn’t, per NBA.com. It’s been such an effortless transition that after only three games with the team, Hart told reporters this was “a perfect situation for me on and off the court.”
“The business of basketball, of course, sometimes gets in the way, and if the Knicks want to keep Hart, they might have to shell out some serious coin. He has a $13 million player option for next season, per Spotrac, but he can beat that on the open market—possibly by a lot. Whenever Hart declines that option, though, the Knicks should be ready and willing to work with him on finding a pay rate that works for both sides,” Buckley wrote.
Trade Targets for NY Knicks
Since Josh Hart’s debut outing back on February 11, the Knicks have gone 17-8 while the vet has posted impressive two-way averages of 10.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 58.6% from the floor and 51.9% from deep.
