The Knicks have a championship reason to keep their core intact, but Josh Hart’s next deal still isn’t a simple call.
That’s the spot New York is in with one of its most useful players. Hart is eligible for an extension, and the team has to decide what a true do-everything role player is worth beyond the next two seasons. He is valuable, but he is not the kind of player who should be paid like every skill he offers belongs in a star contract.
Hart’s production last season made the case plain. In 66 games, he averaged 12 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting 41.3 percent from three.
For a guard, that kind of rebounding stands out. So does the extra pass, and so does the willingness to take on a bigger defender when the matchup asks for it.
Even that line of numbers doesn’t fully capture how often he cleans up a possession before it turns messy.
The good news for the Knicks is that they do not have to rush. Hart’s contract runs through 2026-27 and includes a team option for 2027-28, so there is no looming free-agency deadline forcing New York’s hand. He also gets another season to prove last year’s shooting wasn’t just a one-off spike.
At the same time, the Knicks can’t treat this as a standalone decision. They already have other major commitments to manage, along with a crowded group of guards and wings. Hart makes life easier for Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges, but the front office has to think about the full rotation, not just the value of one piece.
That’s why the smartest move is to start talking now. The Knicks know exactly what Hart brings, and they’ve seen it in high-pressure games.
The team option gives them leverage, but it also means they don’t need to pretend there’s an emergency. The right extension would reward Hart for what he does without overpaying him as if his role will never change.
In Other News...
Knicks Draft Regret Looks Even Worse With Dadiet Now Stuck
Pacome Dadiets place on the Knicks roster has become more complicated than it looked on draft night, and the concern now is less about what he might become than what it might cost to move him. New York has reportedly seen his trade value dip enough that any deal could require draft compensation, a reminder that second-round swings are not just about upside but about how much flexibility they leave a team later on.
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 🡒]
Josh Hart Just Made His Knicks Contract Situation More Interesting
Josh Harts contract status came up at Knicks Media Day, and it was easy to understand why he wanted to address it now rather than let it linger. Entering a season where the roster expects to contend, Hart said he would prefer to have clarity before the 2026-27 campaign begins, a sensible stance for a player who has become a key part of New Yorks rotation and identity.
The bigger issue is less about the paperwork than the possible distraction if negotiations drag on. Hart acknowledged the kind of uncertainty that can creep in when extension talks remain open, and he made clear he does not want the situation hanging over the team for long. For the Knicks, it is another reminder that even in a focused locker room, contract questions can quickly become part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Brunsons Knicks Reaction Made This Celtics Departure Feel Personal
Jalen Brunson has spent the early part of the Knicks summer acknowledging how much Mitchell Robinson meant to the group that reached the championship stage, while also turning the page toward what comes next. Robinsons departure leaves a real void in New Yorks frontcourt, and it is the kind of move that changes both the on-court rotation and the emotional feel of a locker room that had leaned on his presence.
Andre Drummond is now part of that answer, and Brunson sounded encouraged by what the veteran can bring to the mix. The Knicks do not have to wait long for the first test of the transition, either, with early-season matchups looming against the 76ers and Celtics, giving Drummond an immediate chance to settle in and see how New Yorks reshaped big-man group holds up against familiar competition. [Read more 🡒]