Reporter Projects ‘Ideal’ Josh Hart Contract Extension With Knicks

Josh Hart has been an instant hit since joining the New York Knicks around the February 9 trade deadline.

After making such a significant impact, there’s no wonder why Leon Rose and the Knicks front office want to ensure Hart remains with the team long-term. Currently, Hart is expected to decline his player option for next season and become an unrestricted free agent.

However, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, who was speaking on a May 25 episode of the HoopsHype podcast, the Knicks are willing to pay Hart what he deserves in order to ensure he stays with the franchise for the foreseeable future – even if that means signing off on a contract worth north of $70 million.

“If I had to guesstimate where I think it’s ultimately going to go, I could see Hart getting a little bit higher towards the $18 million a year mark because of the way the cap is going up. Tom Thibodeau loves him. He’s a CAA guy. At the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, the buzz from the Knicks, rival executives, and even rival agents was that Josh Hart was going to re-sign with the Knicks. I think four years, $72 million for him, would seemingly be ideal.”

In New York’s 11 postseason games, Hart provided 10.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 47.9% shooting from the field and 31.3% shooting from deep.

Derrick Rose Could Return to the Chicago Bulls

During the same podcast episode, the future of Derrick Rose was discussed, with the common consensus being that the Knicks would decline the veteran’s team option for next season. As such, there was a belief among the hosts that Rose could potentially return to the Chicago Bulls to help fill the void left by the injured Lonzo Ball.

“In my opinion, I think the Chicago Bulls make a ton of sense for Derrick Rose in free agency,” Scotto said. “It would be a nice homecoming for him towards the end of his career. We saw when he was back in town how beloved he is still by that fan base. They’ll be missing Lonzo Ball, and if they’re trying to compete and win, he’s an excellent bridge as a veteran mentor to some of the young guys on that roster, and I think he still has some gas left in the tank.”

Rose only saw the floor on 27 occasions this past season, while also making one appearance during the playoffs, as the veteran struggled for playing time as the Knicks developed throughout the season.

Knicks Struggling to Get The Best Out of RJ Barrett

According to an Eastern Conference Executive who spoke with Heavy on Sports’ Sean Deveney under the condition of anonymity, the Knicks are finding it difficult to get the best out of RJ Barrett.

“He did not seem to know how to handle playing with Jalen Brunson, and that is a concern,” The executive said. “He has had trouble adjusting to his role at every turn, and the Knicks don’t always seem to know what to do with him. They’ve tried him at the 2, they’ve tried him at the 3, they had him trying to run point for a bit a while back, and he just has not found a good fit. He’s the No. 3 option on that team now, and that has been a tough adjustment. You’d like to see him excel in his role, but that has not been the case for him at all.”