‘I’m looking for a home’

Josh Hart has been traded three times in six seasons. The Knicks are his fourth NBA team.

Sometimes, that kind of movement is a red flag.

In Hart’s case, it’s the opposite. 

Each trade indicates his high value to opposing franchises. The Lakers traded Hart to New Orleans as part of the Anthony Davis deal. Hart was moved to Portland last season in the Pelicans’ CJ McCollum trade.

This season, Hart drew legitimate interest from several teams prior to the trade deadline. The Knicks won out, landing Hart for a package that included a 2023 lottery protected first-round pick and Cam Reddish.

Hart made his Knicks debut on Saturday night against Utah. And his fingerprints were all over the win.

He had 11 points, seven rebounds (four offensive), four steals and four assists in 25 minutes.

Hart was on the floor to close the game. In the final 6:44, he hit two three-pointers, had three rebounds (one offensive) and a key assist to help New York to a win.

“Wherever the team needs, he’s willing to fill that. He’s always been that player,” Jalen Brunson said of Hart, his former Villanova teammate. “He’s unselfish. He’s a dude that just wants to win, who will do whatever it takes to win. And I think that fits perfectly because we have a lot of guys on this team that have the same mindset and we have a coach who has that mindset.”

The first night of the Hart era couldn’t have gone better. The next two months will reveal whether the Knicks ultimately made the right call at the deadline.

Remember, they traded Kevin Knox and a future protected first-round pick for Reddish last year. Some front office people might scoff at this idea, but one way to view the trade is that the Knicks traded two protected firsts, Reddish and Knox for Hart.

If the 27-year-old Hart helps the Knicks win games and earn a spot in the playoffs, the trade will be celebrated. If he doesn’t fit well and the Knicks miss the playoffs, the move will be second-guessed.

One thing that you should know about Hart: he’s going to play with high energy every time he steps on the court, particularly at home.

Story continues

“Everything just feels better [at The Garden]. It feels different. The air is different. Every possession feels a little bit more intense. There’s a little bit more pop and oomph in yourself when you play in The Garden,” said Hart, who played at MSG in college as a star at Villanova. “To play a home game here, man, it’s gonna be great, so I’m excited. There’s no better venue, no better arena in the world than MSG. So, being able to suit up for home games in that, it’s amazing.”

The Knicks hope Hart’s defensive versatility, rebounding and skill in transition will help them make a playoff push. Most of those elements were on display in the fourth quarter against Utah, when Hart was part of the Knicks’ closing lineups.

He was part of a closing lineup that included RJ Barrett, Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle and Isaiah Hartenstein.

It will be interesting to see how Tom Thibodeau makes room for Hart in the rotation. Before Saturday’s game, Thibodeau said Hart could play with the Knicks starters and bench units. He came off the bench against Utah; Miles McBride was a DNP.

SO, it seems like Thibodeau will stick with his nine-man rotation for the moment.

Moving forward, Thibodeau has to decide which two players out of Hart, Quickley, Barrett and Grimes he’ll use down the stretch of games.

For what it’s worth, Hart seems like he has all the attributes that Thibodeau seeks in a player.

“I’m a guy that’s gonna be physical. I’m a guy that’s gonna do the dirty work. Gonna rebound, gonna defend. Get on the floor for a loose ball and do those kind of things,” Hart said. “I feel like that style fits every team, especially a New York team. That’s what this city is about and what the city builds off of. I take that with pride. I’m just a blue collar guy; I think that’s really going to work well here.”

Hart has plenty of ties to this Knicks team. Leon Rose was his agent at CAA before Rose took the job as Knicks team president. He played with Julius Randle in Los Angeles. Most prominently, Hart played with Jalen Brunson at Villanova; they helped lead the Wildcats win the 2016 NCAA title.

“It’s something that we both wanted to do in our careers and man we’re both excited,” Hart said of playing with Brunson. “We’re excited to be teammates, and we’re both excited to be Knicks. I think that’s the biggest thing.”

Hart has a player option in his contract for 2023-24 – the final year of his deal. If he exercises the option, the year is non-guaranteed. So Hart is probably going to test free agency this summer.

He’s moved to three cities in less than four years. He joked that he and his wife Shannon Phillips ‘are pros’ when it comes to moving from one home to the next. So they can handle another move this summer if Hart signs with another team. But Hart seems to be looking for a long-term home

Can he see himself in New York beyond this season?

“For sure,” Hart said on Saturday when asked about the possibility of staying in New York long-term. “Obviously on the court, there’s a lot of things I’m excited about, with teammates and Thibs and the front office I’m familiar with the organization. And even off the court. I’m close to family. My wife is pregnant, so we’ll have a couple little ones running around. Not running, but just around, and it’ll be great to have family close by. So it works well on and off the court. It’s definitely somewhere that I would definitely like to be.”

“Like I said, it’s my third time getting traded, sixth year in the league, fourth team, sixth head coach. It’s been a whirlwind. I didn’t think that was how my first six years were going to be, but I’m looking for a home, and I think this could be it.”

Before and after Saturday’s game, Hart made a point to thank the Trailblazers organization. He singled out GM Joe Cronin and head coach Chauncey Billups.

“I gotta thank Joe and Chauncey and the front office there because they were amazing. They were transparent. They were helpful. They did things the right way,” Hart said. “I’ve been in this league six years. I’ve seen how guys have been treated. I’ve seen how sometimes a front office (isn’t) as transparent, and we understand that’s the world that we live in. But I gotta give them so much credit because they were so helpful during this process. And I wish them nothing but the best. I know they’re gonna be successful. I know Joe is gonna have a long time there with a lot of good deals and trades and all that, draft picks. And they’re gonna have a lot of success. We knew it was a possibility, but like I said, I gotta thank them so much for their transparency and their support.”

At the end of his post-game press conference, Hart again took time to thank the Blazers.

“Portland, as an organization, was great. Joe Cronin’s been great, that organization is nothing but a class act from the front office to the training room,” Hart said.

This has nothing to do with Hart’s experience, but Portland is in the middle of a tough situation due to another trade. The club may have a trade rescinded due to Gary Payton II’s failed physical with the Warriors.