New York Knicks and Josh Hart agree to $81 million extension. Is this a good thing?
As they look to improve on what was a dismal 2022-23 season, the Knicks have secured an important piece of their puzzle ahead of the coming campaign.
Though he’s currently with Team USA as he prepares for the FIBA World Cup in the Philippines this month, the 28-year-old has sealed a deal with his NBA team which will tie him to the franchise for the foreseeable future.
New York Knicks & Josh Hart agree to a hefty extension
According to reports this week, the New York Knicks and guard Josh Hart are in the process of finalizing a four-year, $81 million extension. Of course, Hart had already opted into the final year of his contract earlier this summer and with that, would have become an unrestricted free agent next offseason, however, with the deal now essentially agreed upon, he will be in the big apple right through to the 2027-28 season.
Regarding his path to this point, the Villanova product was passed off to the Knicks just before the trade deadline last season and to be quite honest, he hit the ground running. Across the 25 games that he played, Hart averaged 10.2 points, seven rebounds and 3.6 assists off the bench. On top of that, he was also one of the few reliable options that the Knicks had from beyond the arc. Indeed, though he only averaged just over two attempts per game, he managed to sink more than 50% of them.
Josh Hart is also good on defense
Aside from the offense, it’s got to be said that Hart was equally as impressive on the other end of the floor as he proved to be an integral part of New York’s defense. Against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs, it would be fair to say that it was Hart who was key to containing the Cavs’ All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. Truth be told, his defensive work was a central part of why the Knicks managed to win the series against a team that was favored to eliminate them. Yet, this brings us back to the present which is to say the Knicks with whom Hart has just extended his time, are the fourth team he’s played for in six seasons. Could it be that he’s finally found a place to call home? While we’ve got no definitive answer, what we can say is the fact that he’s just signed an extension would seem to indicate that he has. All we can do now is watch and wait.