Getty Josh Hart of the New York Knicks reacts in the second half against the Indiana Pacers.
In the last 24 hours, New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson has garnered ample attention with his (presumed) light-hearted Tweet asking people to “stop asking me” about Josh Hart and free agency signee Donte DiVincenzo, claiming that they are nothing more than “coworkers.”
In response to his public message, Hart clapped back on his personal Instagram account, posting a story where he labeled the budding star’s comments as being “cap.”
Josh Hart to Jalen Brunson on IG: “He all 🧢”
This post comes hours after Josh Hart first playfully jabbed back at Brunson, quote tweeting the initial message and saying: “So why you just FaceTime me?”
The relationship between these three dates back to their collegiate days at Villanova, as they all overlapped one another, winning an NCAA championship together in 2016 while Brunson and DiVincenzo would claim their second title one year after Hart entered the NBA.
Extension Could Come Soon Between Josh Hart, Knicks
Though Josh Hart decided to opt into his third and final season under contract for the Knicks, this is not to say that a new deal is not expected to be agreed upon this summer.
In fact, some would argue it’s quite the opposite, as Zach Braziller of the New York Post stated soon after the veteran wing’s decision that it’s expected that the two sides will now work together to agree on a long-term extension once Hart is eligible to do so in early August.
“The expectation is the two sides will come to an agreement on a contract extension when Hart is eligible for one on Aug. 9, six months after he was acquired. It is likely there were under-the-table talks about such a deal in the lead-up to the deadline,” Braziller wrote.
Braziller would continue on to state that “the max he can receive is a four-year, $81 million extension,” which, based on his production with the Knicks during his half-season stint, could be a rather realistic outcome.
Through 25 regular season games, Josh Hart went on to post impressive all-around averages of 10.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and half a block while shooting 58.6 percent from the floor and 51.9 percent from distance.
Obi Toppin Shys Away From Calling Knicks Exit ‘Frusturating’
The decision made by the Knicks to trade third-year lottery-selected big man Obi Toppin to the Pacers was one ridiculed by fans and media pundits alike.
However, in his introductory press conference with Indiana, Toppin himself refrained from taking personal shots at his former employers, despite rumors of discontent.
“I mean, I’m not going to say it was super frustrating… Things happen for a reason,” he said. “I’m just super excited living in the moment. Glad to be here in Indy and can’t wait to get started.”
Throughout his stint with the Knicks, Toppin played only 14.7 minutes per game, scoring just 7.0 points and grabbing 3.0 rebounds.
He now heads to the Pacers to create a new young tandem with star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who, ironically, was tabbed in 2020 as an ideal draft target for Leon Rose and company to consider before ultimately passing on him to select Toppin with the eighth overall pick.