Former NCAA champion would 'love' to ink a long-term deal with the New York Knicks
Josh Hart and the New York Knicks (42-31) are 5th in the Eastern Conference standings and have won 6 of their last 10 games. Hart started the NBA regular season with the Portland Trail Blazers, as he averaged 9.5 points on 50.4% shooting, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists.
He was traded to the New York Knicks during the trade deadline and has been a huge factor in the team's success this season. Hart is averaging 11.1 points on 60.6% shooting, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists and also logs about 30.4 minutes per game for the team.
Josh Hart's commitment with the New York Knicks
Josh Hart said in an interview with Marc J. Spears, an NBA writer for Andscape, regarding his contract with the New York Knicks:
"I want bigger things for my wife and myself. Just find a home somewhere where we are valued and really like living there. And I think that can be New York.
He added:
"I would love for it to be New York and hopefully the organization feels the same way. Coming up, this contract is hopefully my biggest one, one where I'm making sure my family's fully taken care of. So, I've also got to take that into account, too"
Regarding his $12.9 million player option for the 2023-2024 NBA season to be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, he is expected to deny this option as he is hoping to get a long-term deal with the Knicks.
With his seamless fit with the New York Knicks and having managed to thrive with the team, Hart said this in the Andscape article:
"This is my sixth year in the league, fourth team, sixth head coach. I’ve been traded three times. It’s been a whirlwind. Not really ideally how I thought my first six years were going to go, but I want to find a home"
Ever since the acquisition of Josh Hart by the New York Knicks, the team has been going at an incredible pace with a 12-4 record. For the season, he has a 115.8 defensive rating.
During his first season with the Portland Trail Blazers, he instantly made an impact as he averaged 19.9 points on 50.3% shooting, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists.
Similar to his impact with the Trail Blazers, the same can be said for his level of play with the New York Knicks as he has also been part of the closing lineup for the team.
Hart's impact on the court can be felt on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.