Josh Hart walked into Knicks Media Day with his future still hanging in the balance, and he didn’t hide what he wants next: clarity.
The veteran forward said he’d rather have his contract situation settled sooner than later, with extension talks still unresolved as New York gets ready for the season. Hart made it clear that dragging negotiations deep into the year can create the kind of noise players would rather avoid.
“You always want to get it done, kind of as soon as possible,” Hart said, in comments shared by SNY Knicks. He explained that allowing negotiations to linger into the season could bring questions, rumors and distractions.
“At a human level, sometimes that can wear people down,” Hart said. “It can affect how you go out and handle business on a day-to-day basis, just some of that uncertainty.
“As long as I wear this jersey, I’m going to play as hard as I can for my guys and the city,” Hart said. He added that if things remain unresolved into February, “it might be a different conversation.”
Hart is under contract for 2026-27 and has a $22.4 million team option for 2027-28. He is also extension eligible, while the Knicks are staring down other major future contract decisions.
On the floor, Hart remains one of the pieces New York leans on for all the little things that swing games. Last season, he averaged 12.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 66 games, while shooting 50.8% from the field and 41.3% from three.
His rebounding, playmaking and defensive energy are still central to what he brings.
The Knicks will need that again when their title defense opens Oct. 20 against the 76ers at Madison Square Garden.
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That reality only sharpens the debate around last years draft board, where several players taken in the same range have already looked like cleaner fits. Kyshawn George, Terrence Shannon Jr., Ajay Mitchell, Jaylen Wells and Oso Ighodaro all came off the board around Dadiet, and each name makes the Knicks decision look a little heavier in retrospect, especially with salary structure and roster space now part of the equation. [Read more 🡒]
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Knicks Created A Bigger Problem Than Just Replacing Mitchell Robinson
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What makes the move linger is that it is not being viewed as a one-for-one swap, either on the floor or in the bigger picture. The new setup has already fueled speculation about how New Yorks future performance might be affected, and it could even color contract talks down the line. For a team trying to stay in the mix, losing Robinson is not just about replacing a center, it is about managing the ripple effects that come with changing the structure of the roster. [Read more 🡒]