Josh Hart Would 'Love' to Sign Long-Term Knicks Contract During Offseason

The New York Knicks acquired Josh Hart at the trade deadline, and he has been a solid addition for the franchise leading into the postseason.

Hart, who has become a key rotational piece for Tom Thibodeau's squad, has a player option worth $13 million for the 2023-24 season, but he's expected to decline that option in pursuit of a long-term deal, which he hopes he'll sign with the Knicks.

Hart told Andscape's Marc J. Spears:

"I want bigger things for my wife and myself. Just find a home somewhere where we are valued and really like living there. And I think that can be New York. I would love for it to be New York and hopefully the organization feels the same way. Coming up, this contract is hopefully my biggest one, one where I'm making sure my family's fully taken care of. So, I've also got to take that into account, too."

Hart, who grew up in Maryland and played college basketball at Villanova, also revealed the impact that playing with the Portland Trail Blazers on the opposite side of the country had on him and his wife, Shannon Hart, who is pregnant with twins:

"Portland was good, but it was just so far and I'm not from the West Coast. It was tough. Not on me, but more so on my wife because she's not a huge fan of flying. So, she's all the way in the Pacific Northwest, not really flying, just by herself. That was one of the things that was weighing on me a little bit, just seeing her struggle with that. So, me being gone but being close to home, it's been great.

"I was superexcited about the trade. My first call was to my wife. Oh, man, she was excited. She was freaking out a little bit because obviously she's got a doctor [in Portland], and everything is kind of situated. But once we got everything situated on that front, she was ecstatic."

The Knicks have thrived with the addition of Hart and are 12-4 since he made his debut on Feb. 11.

The 28-year-old is also having more of an impact in New York than he did in Portland this season, averaging 11.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals in 16 games while shooting 60.6 percent from the floor and 55.6 percent from deep.

The Knicks currently sit fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 42-31 record and are on pace to earn a guaranteed playoff spot. Hart's performance down the stretch and into the postseason could have a big impact on his next contract.

If the Knicks are able to retain Hart, he'll continue to be a key piece of the team's rotation alongside fellow Villanova product Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett and Julius Randle.