Josh Hart has already helped deliver the championship New York spent more than half a century waiting for. Now comes a different question: How much longer will he be a Knick?
Hart became eligible for a contract extension this month, putting one of the New York Knicks‘ most important players in position to secure what could be the final major deal of his NBA career.
If Hart gets his preference, that career could end in New York.
“Obviously, that’s always something that you think of,” Hart told Heavy Sports in an exclusive interview. “I love New York. I love being here. Obviously, it would be amazing to end my career here.”
It was Hart’s clearest indication yet of how he views his future as the Knicks begin navigating the financial realities that come with keeping a championship roster together.
And determining Hart’s value may not be quite as simple as labeling him a role player.
Predicting Josh Hart’s Next Knicks Contract
Getty Josh Hart of the New York Knicks and Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs compete for a loose ball during the fourth quarter in Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 03, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.
Hart became extension-eligible Aug. 10 and can sign for as much as four years and $132 million, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic.
Few around the league, however, expect his next contract to approach that ceiling.
One league source told Edwards that a three-year extension in the range of $54 million to $62 million could represent a compromise for Hart and the Knicks. Another league source placed the potential sweet spot at approximately $60 million to $62 million over three years.
Edwards argued Hart’s market value could justify an even richer deal — somewhere between $70 million and $80 million — considering contracts received by comparable high-level complementary players around the league.
Hart is scheduled to make $20.9 million this season, with New York holding a team option worth slightly more than $22 million for 2027-28.
That gives both sides time. It also creates a complicated negotiation.
Hart will turn 32 in March. He has logged enormous minutes over the past several seasons, but he is also coming off one of the most productive years of his career. He averaged more than 14 points, shot better than 50% from the field and made a career-best 41.3% of his 3-pointers while playing a central role in New York’s championship run.
His value has rarely been captured neatly by a box score. Hart rebounds far beyond what his 6-foot-5 frame suggests, can move between lineups and has become an emotional engine for a Knicks core built around Jalen Brunson.
James Dolan’s Second-Apron Mandate Looms Over Hart Talks
Getty Owner James Dolan looks on during the New York Knicks Championship ticker tape parade and victory rally celebrating winning the 2026 NBA Finals on June 18, 2026 in New York City. The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games to win their first NBA Championship in 53 years.
The Knicks’ other commitments complicate the financial equation — and by an ownership mandate that has already altered their championship roster.
Knicks owner James Dolan publicly drew a line at the NBA’s second apron this offseason, saying the team “cannot go into” the punitive spending tier. New York subsequently lost Mitchell Robinson, the longest-tenured Knicks player and a central piece of its championship rotation, to the Boston Celtics.
Robinson’s departure provided a tangible example of the consequences of keeping the payroll beneath that threshold. Before free agency, his return had already become doubtful because of the Knicks’ second-apron crunch and Dolan’s unwillingness to cross it.
Now the same financial pressure hangs over the decisions ahead.
Karl-Anthony Towns is eligible for an extension. Mikal Bridges signed a four-year, $150 million extension last summer, while OG Anunoby is already on a long-term contract worth more than $40 million annually. Brunson eventually will be due another significant payday.
Hart, meanwhile, has never been paid at the level of New York’s other four starters.
That makes the question more complicated than whether he wants to remain a Knick. Hart must weigh long-term security and his market value against the financial sacrifices that could help New York preserve its championship core.
Josh Hart Makes Feelings Clear on Knicks’ Championship Core
Hart made clear that keeping that group competitive matters to him.
“I think we’ve also made necessary ways to keep most of the group that we had together,” Hart told Heavy Sports. “I feel like everyone is hungry.”
There is a difference now, of course.
The Knicks are no longer trying to prove this core can win a championship. They’re trying to determine how long they can afford to keep it together while the rest of the Eastern Conference reloads.
“We’ve had the success. We know what it takes, and we’re hungry and wanting to do it again,” Hart said. “The East has gotten better, but I think we’re focused on being a better team than we were last year.”
Hart recently told Heavy Sports how lessons from becoming an Eagle Scout — including perseverance, leadership and honoring commitments — helped shape the mentality he carried into the Knicks’ championship run.
His next commitment could be considerably more expensive.
But when it comes to where Hart would like his NBA story to end, there doesn’t appear to be much ambiguity.
New York.
Knicks’ Josh Hart Makes Strong Statement on Future Amid Extension Buzz