Knicks G Josh Hart Free Agency Update Bodes Well for Jazz

Despite an overall anti-climatic result in their Eastern Conference Semifinals effort, the New York Knicks have had what most would consider an overall success of a season. Their collection of hustlers and gritty players filling their roster resulted in their surprising first-round upset over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

One of the more impactful pieces of this Knicks team has been guard Josh Hart. Acquired in a trade deadline deal to send him from the Portland Trail Blazers to New York, Hart has consistently been a significant depth piece to this playoff squad.

Coach Tom Thibodeau had some high praise for the former Villanova guard after the Knicks' Game 1 win in the first round:

"If you need a big shot, he can provide that; if you need a big rebound, he can provide that; if you need a stop defensively, he can provide that; he goes for a loose ball, that’s what he is. He’s a playmaker. He’s gonna make hustle plays, make tough plays. He’s a great competitor. And he just plays to win. There’s no agenda other than winning."

- Tom Thibodeau, via

Heavy.com

This winning DNA will end up coming at a cost though. Hart will enter this summer with a player option for $12 million dollars, and according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the "overwhelming belief" is the Hart will be declining this.

For a team like the Utah Jazz, not only would adding a "winning" player benefit this team immensely going forward, but the fit may be exactly what the team is looking for.

Current Jazz starting guard Jordan Clarkson will also be entering this offseason on a potentially declined player option. He'll be entering his age-31 season and would most likely command some notable money come July. A Josh Hart signing would not only be a likely cost-saving move, but it allows the team to get younger and allow other developing players on the team to have more of a scoring role.

Hart mananaged to start all 51 games he played with Portland, filling his role excellently as more of a "glue guy" than having a central focus on offense. He hustles, shoots pretty efficiently from most anywhere on the floor (51/37/75 shooting splits), and rebounds the ball better than almost anyone who plays his position, averaging 7.8 total rebounds across this past season.

REPORT: “The overwhelming belief is that [Josh] Hart will decline his $12.96M player option and re-sign with the Knicks.”

(via @MikeAScotto, https://t.co/LCov34rwqa) pic.twitter.com/iJBiMSxknD
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 9, 2023

With what HoopsHype estimates as a market value of "$15-18 million" a year according to "four NBA executives," Utah could absolutely find the money to sign the 28-year-old guard considering their substancial cap space. They currently are projected over $40 million in practical cap space, so the team could even add a few more impact players along with him.

While nothing is official in terms of what Hart will do with his contract moving forward, this is definitely a situation the Jazz should be keeping a keen eye on.

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