Knicks' Josh Hart Decides on 2023-24 Player Option

Josh Hart is officially hitting free agency but New York Knicks fans who want to see him back have plenty of reasons to be hopeful.

What's next for Josh Hart?

"I'm going to retire," the New York Knicks' trade deadline acquisition jokingly told Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report in a video released by the site on Monday.

Hart's future is certainly a talking point in New York after he came over from Portland in February. The contract that came with him carried a $12.9 million player option for next season before he became an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024. Many assumed that Hart, a key reason behind the Knicks' success in the new calendar year, would decline that option. 

The forward/guard strongly implied he would do so in his conversation with Rooks.

"We'll probably decline that and do the free agency thing," Hart said. 

Josh Hart tells @TaylorRooks he's likely declining his player option to test free agency 👀

He'd love to stay in New York pic.twitter.com/1sAY9kySla

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 5, 2023

Set to enter his seventh season, Hart should be one of the most sought-after depth options on the free agency front, especially considering his apparent value to a contending group. In 25 regular season appearances with the Knicks, he averaged 10.2 points and seven rebounds. New York won 17 of those games, allowing them to lock up the fifth seed on the Eastern Conference playoff bracket. 

Hart will have more freedom as an unrestricted free agent this time around. He was a restricted free agent after his rookie deal expired in New Orleans (originally bestowed by the Los Angeles Lakers before he was dealt in a trade headlined by Anthony Davis' transfer) and the Pelicans brought him back on his current deal at three years, $37.9 million. He was traded to Portland in 2022 before the Knicks brought him in for Cam Reddish, Ryan Arcidiacono, Svi Mykhailiuk, and their 2023 first-round pick. 

The Villanova alum and Jalen Brunson teammate said it was enough to bring him to tears.

"(In) my first free agency, I was restricted and it was (butt)," Hart declared. "I kind of actually cried a little bit. It took three weeks to get it done, I'm like 'damn, do people want me in the league?' I don't think this free agency will go that way."

While Hart appears destined to hit the market, he still seems interested in extending his stay. Hart made no secret about his comfort in New York at several points during the season and extended further love during his conversation with Rooks, continuing to use "we" when referring to his work with the Knicks.

"I love New York. I love the team, I love the coaching staff, the front office that we have," he said. "We've got young guys, draft picks, all those sorts of things. Obviously, that would be an ideal place for me to just ...re-sign there and do that."

Breast milk disagreements aside, Hart seems to believe that a long-term deal in Manhattan is his best-case scenario. 

"Everything's perfect on the court, off the court, with family being close to home, all those kinds of things. So, fingers crossed ... I would love for (New York) to be home."

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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