Josh Hart officially signed the four-year, $81 million extension with the New York Knicks on Thursday while he was with Team USA in Spain.
The deal turned out to be team-friendly, with only $58 million and three years guaranteed, according to The Athletic’s Fred Katz, as the final year is a team option. Nevertheless, it is a generational wealth that Hart dreamed of and worked so hard to realize.
“It meant a lot,” Hart told The Athletic’s Joe Vardon after signing the contract. “I wasn’t highly touted coming out of high school, wasn’t highly regarded in the draft, went through free agency the first time and I was restricted, it was a terrible experience for me, so to be able to do this, it’s a dream come true – just being able to have something that can take care of my parents, my family, my kids.”
“So I mean, it’s hard to put into words. It’s really dope. My game, my style, my play, it’s not always the most glamorous, so it definitely shows that hard work pays off,” Hart added.
Hart, a wine connoisseur, celebrated the life-changing contract extension with a vintage bottle of wine — a 2011 Vega Sicilia Unico — after a FaceTime call with his wife, The Athletic reported.
Hart is now expected to play for Team USA on Saturday against Slovenia after sitting out Monday’s rout of Puerto Rico, pending the final agreement on his contract extension.
ESPN Broadcaster’s Jeers Turns Into Cheers for Knicks
ESPN’s Jorge Sedano has turned from a Knicks doubter to a believer.
Sedano, who is infamously known among the Knicks fan base for laughing at their team after they missed out on a chance to get the top pick and select Zion Williamson in 2019, has lauded Leon Rose’s front office for their recent moves.
“Absolutely [the Knicks are taking steps in the right direction],” Sedano said on the August 9 episode of “NBA Today.” “I think they’ve been doing this now for a couple of seasons, and previous iterations of this front office have tried to fast-track things, and that’s not how you can build a sustainable winner, in my opinion. Yes, there are outliers in those situations, but if you’re the Knicks, you’ve got something good. You’ve taken steps now to be a formidable team in the Eastern Conference. To me, they’re one player or one big move away from being a real contender in the Eastern Conference.”
Leon Rose Issues Statement on Josh Hart’s Extension
Rose cited why the Knicks quickly locked up Hart to the lucrative extension in a statement the Knicks PR released on Thursday.
“Josh’s immediate impact on our team last season – both on and off the court — cannot be understated, and we are thrilled to announce he has signed an extension,” said Knicks president Leon Rose. “The leadership and competitiveness Josh brings fits perfectly with the culture we are building.”
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 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.
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Knicks’ Josh Hart Opens Up About Lucrative Extension