Getty Josh Hart and Isaiah Hartenstein of the New York Knicks celebrate after Hart drew the foul in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The New York Knicks are rewarding Josh Hart for helping them land his Villanova teammate Donte DiVincenzo in free agency with the maximum contract extension he’s allowed to sign.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Hart is finalizing a four-year year extension worth $81 million after opting into his $12.9 million player option for the 2023-2024 season in June. The new deal, which gives Hart a total of $94 million over the next five seasons, can become official as early as Thursday.
Hart sat out Team USA’s 117-74 rout of Puerto Rico Monday night at the start of the USA Basketball Showcase games pending a new deal with the Knicks. He secured the bag on the first day he was allowed to sign an extension, exactly six months since he was traded.
The 28-year-old guard played a pivotal role for the Knicks’ postseason run after arriving from Portland at the February trade deadline. The Knicks went 17-8 with Hart, including winning their first nine games, to finish the regular season as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Hart knocked down 52% from downtown in 25 regular-season games with the Knicks. He lifted the Knicks bench into the league’s top four in terms of net rating (+3.2). Hart averaged 10.2 points and 7.0 rebounds, the best among guards, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals during his first 25 games with the Knicks.
Hart is projected to reprise his role with the Knicks next season, forming a solid bench trio with Sixth Man of the Year finalist Immanuel Quickley and DiVincenzo.
Jalen Brunson Leads Team USA in Rebounds Sans Josh Hart
Jalen Brunson had a sensational debut with Team USA, leading the national team in the rebounding department with his Knicks teammate Hart, the league’s best rebounding guard, sitting out.
Brunson had 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds to power Team USA’s 117-74 shellacking of an overmatched Puerto Rico team. The Knicks star added three assists, one steal and a block in a solid all-around performance. He was a plus-23 on the court, the second-best plus-minus in Team USA, next to his backup Tyrese Haliburton’s plus-24.
“It took us a while to get going, but when we’re playing the defensive side of the ball and getting stops and turnovers and running, it’s pretty fun for us,” Brunson said after the game via ESPN. “So we just got to try to continue to do that. Just not worry about offense at all, and we’ll be all right.”
Hart is expected to have his Team USA debut when they face Slovenia on Saturday in Spain.
Ex-Knicks Coach Derek Fisher Takes HS Job
Former Knicks coach Derek Fisher is settling for a high school coaching job after failed stints in the NBA and WNBA.
Fisher will coach Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, California, the school announced on its official website.
Fisher, who won five NBA championships as a player, did not find similar success as head coach. The Knicks had their worst record in franchise history, 17-65, in Fisher’s first year. He did not finish his second season after the Knicks lost nine of their last 10 games with him at the helm following a 22-22 start.
Fisher had more success in the WNBA, piloting the Los Angeles Sparks to two playoff appearances but never advanced to the Finals despite a star-studded roster led by Candace Parker, Nneka Ogwumike, and Chelsea Gray.
Fisher was fired as the Sparks’ head coach and general manager after a poor start following Liz Cambage’s signing.