Getty Josh Hart of the New York Knicks reacts to a call in the second half against the Miami Heat.
This summer, the New York Knicks signed Donte DiVincenzo in free agency, thus reuniting him with former Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. Thursday, another ex-Wildcat called out Hart for trying to recruit him to the communal gathering at MSG.
In response to the veteran wing’s tweet where he said “We teammates again” and specifically tagged Brunson and Mikal Bridges, the Brooklyn Nets star playfully responded with claims of tampering.
Josh Hart quickly responded, clearing the air by quote-tweeting Bridges, saying: “What I do??? I’m talking about Team USA!!!”
Hart, Bridges, and Brunson will all be representing Team USA during this summer’s FIBA World Cup, which is claimed to be the reason for the initial message on Twitter.
The Nets star, however, seems to have a different take on the situation.
Knicks Gearing Up for ‘Another Move’
Though Josh Hart suggests he had no ulterior motive in his Twitter exchange with Mikal Bridges, the Knicks organization as a whole is certainly believed to be open to making some sort of splash this summer.
At least, that’s what The Athletic’s Fred Katz suggested in a July 5 piece, writing that New York “may have another move up their sleeve” this summer.
“The world chatters about their quest for a star. But there are other tweaks they could make, ones that may not seize this faceless, long-awaited MVP candidate but could make them better today — and if a move like that occurred, it would give the DiVincenzo signing new context,” Katz wrote. “The Knicks have built packages around their promising young players to target prime-aged veterans they believe would help the current roster. If they flipped one of their 20-something guards for a versatile wing, that would change the context of the DiVincenzo signing, too.”
The Knicks have found themselves linked to a bevy of top-billed names as being possible trade targets, with Zion Williamson, Zach LaVine, and Paul George serving as perhaps the most often mentioned players.
Of the bunch, one talent, in particular, has been rumored to be the most ideal for this current New York core.
Paul George ‘The Perfect Addition’ for Knicks
During a July 6 episode of The Putback, SNY NBA insider Ian Begley discussed the concept of a potential blockbuster trade for Paul George, shedding light on the fact that people within the Knicks organization view the eight-time All-Star as the “perfect addition” to their current rotation.
“If he’s not extended by the Clippers or if the Clippers are still wishy-washy about it I would assume that they continue to take calls one George because that’s a situation that will be very much in flux. The Knicks, people with the Knicks I know see George as the perfect addition to this particular team at this particular time,” Begley said.
We talked Knicks’ recent approach on big trades, length of window to acquire a top player for NYK, the nine-man rotation, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo fit & more yesterday on The Putback:
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Easily one of the best two-way players in the association, Paul George is coming off a tremendous 2022-23 campaign, finishing with averages of 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from deep.
Unfortunately, due to his questionable durability (has played just 189 out of a potential total of 308 regular season games over the last four seasons), many believe a pursuit of the All-Star would be a concerning risk for the Knicks to take.