Josh Hart is picking up his $12.9 million player option with the New York Knicks for the 2023-24 season, per sources. This is part of the three-year, $37.92 million deal he signed with the New Orleans Pelicans in August 2021.
Opting-in allows New York to maintain the full $12.4 million non-tax midlevel while remaining below the $172 million first apron/hard cap. The Knicks have $4.6M of unlikely bonuses that count toward the first apron.
Hart, 28, made 52 starts in 76 appearances with the Portland Trail Blazers and Knicks in the 2022-23 season. The Villanova product averaged 9.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 32.3 minutes per game.
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Opting-in allows New York to have the full $12.4M non-tax midlevel and stay just below the $172M first apron/hard cap.
New York has $4.6M of unlikely bonuses that count toward the first apron. https://t.co/Ji9sNBlOTC
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) June 29, 2023
As part of a four-team trade in February, Josh Hart was traded by Portland to the Knicks, along with Dani Diez and Bojan Dubljevic; the Charlotte Hornets traded Jalen McDaniels and a 2024 second-round draft pick to the Philadelphia 76ers; and the Knicks sent Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk to Charlotte.
Additionally, New York traded Ryan Arcidiacono, Cam Reddish, Ante Tomic, and a 2023 first-round draft pick to Portland; Philadelphia traded a 2023 second-round draft pick to Charlotte and dealt Matisse Thybulle to Portland; the Trail Blazers sent a 2027 second-round draft pick to the Hornets; and Portland traded a 2029 second-rounder to the Sixers.
Josh Hart picks up $12.9 million player option with the New York Knicks for the 2023-24 season ahead of free agency, opting-in allows team to own the full $12.4 million non-tax midlevel
In New York’s 124-106 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 13, the forward scored a season-high 27 points in 28 minutes off the bench. Along with tallying four boards, two assists, and one steal, Hart shot 10-of-14 (71.4%) from the floor and 4-of-6 (66.7%) beyond the arc.
“I know the teams that I’ve been with since he’s been in the league, we’ve always had interest in him,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said of Josh Hart in February. “If you coach against or you play against him, those are the types of guys that you respect.
“You respect a fierce competitor. Obviously, he’s got great talent. He wouldn’t be here without great talent. But his competitive spirit is special.”
By exercising his $13M option for 2023-24, Josh Hart gave the Knicks more financial flexibility if they choose to sign a player – or players – with the non taxpayer midlevel exception. Donte DiVincenzo is among players in NYK’s radar: pic.twitter.com/dw47ZegWfo
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 29, 2023
Adjusting to Thibodeau’s system was a challenge for Hart after the in-season trade. However, he went on to shoot an impressive 58% overall and 51.9% from 3-point range in 25 games in a Knicks uniform during the regular season. More importantly, Hart’s addition bolstered New York’s second unit.
“I’ve been in several different systems. This is my sixth coach in six years,” Josh Hart said. “So, it’s taken a little while to get used to, but it’s definitely a green light. It’s not something that I had before, and I’m not mad about it. I wasn’t frustrated about it.
“It was just the style that we had in Portland. So now I come here and he’s giving me the ability to make plays, to do ball screens, get dribble handoffs and like you said, just have the ultimate green light, so it gives me that confidence. So now those catch-and-shoot shots are more in rhythm.”
NBA free agency begins Friday, June 30 at 6 p.m. ET.
