Josh Hart Might Be Making Knicks’ Upcoming Decision a Lot Easier

New York might not have a choice.

Josh Hart's early-season struggles, injury concerns, and upcoming contract extension could put his Knicks future in question as New York weighs its options. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even on a team with Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart remains one of the most enigmatic and polarizing figures on the Knicks.

The vocal guard's contagious energy, game-winning rebounds, and timely plays melt fans' hearts just as much as his hesitancy to shoot and head-scratching turnovers induce rage. In short, Hart is a player who at times looks untradeable while sometimes also looking unplayable. But most of the time, he finds himself teetering in between as a player who has clear shortcomings but is a winning player capable of doing some great things.

So far this season, though, Hart has struggled to find his groove. Now, he's not the only one. Far from it. Hart is on an unfortunately long list of disappointing Knicks. Fellow starters OG Anunoby and the aforementioned Bridges have struggled to varying degrees, with Mike Brown admitting how difficult it can be to find time for the latter. And the bench trio of Andre Drummond, Jose Alvarado, and Mohamed Diawara have all left a lot to be desired so far. But Hart is in a truly unique predicament-one that nobody else on the team may be able to relate to.

Hart entered the season as one of four Knicks eligible for an extension. Of those guys, though, Hart has struggled the most. Towns is having a career year and playing maybe the best basketball of his career. Miles McBride has rediscovered his three-point stroke after a slow start. And even Tyler Kolek has stepped up into the backup point guard role and performed admirably. But Hart's season has been up and down, like his game can tend to be at times.

The early season saw Hart playing well. The veteran averaged 12.3 ppg over his first three games, and he was more aggressive than usual for three, taking seven attempts per game. He did that while playing some incredibly good defense despite the tough matchups he was forced to take on nightly. Since then, though, Hart hasn't seemed like his usual high-energy, high-impact player on a consistent basis.

Josh Hart's inconsistent play could force the Knicks to rethink his future

As of Sunday morning, Hart is averaging just 4.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 4.0 apg while shooting just 31.4% from the field and 26.1% from three. It is important to note that Hart did miss three games due to an ankle injury and recently revealed that he failed to fully ramp up in training camp due to a calf injury he suffered. That being said, his recent struggles, injuries, and upcoming extension along with the fact that the starting lineup looked much better without him (they did play against significantly lesser teams) might make the Knicks' decisions surrounding his future a little bit easier.

Trading away your franchise player's best friend on the team isn't always a smart choice. But if the Knicks want to shed some salary and spend that money elsewhere, everything that's been going on recently works against Hart. The Knicks could promote McBride or Landry Shamet to the starting lineup and use Hart's money to extend McBride and sign another backup. Or they could bring McBride back, keep him and Shamet as the backup guards, and sign another starter.

What is odd is that if the Knicks could make Hart being a bench player work, they may have fewer short-term problems. Say the Knicks opted to start McBride. That obviously still wouldn't solve the issue of being able to bring McBride back next season. But I still think Hart's shortcomings would be much less detrimental to the team coming off the bench. In such a scenario, Hart's lack of shooting wouldn't hurt the starting lineup's offense nearly as much. But it seems like a foregone conclusion now that, so long as Hart is a Knick, he'll be starting.

And if that's the case, the best solution may be to trade him, even though he was great for much of the Knicks' championship run.

There's still a long way to go in the season. Hart is a valued member of the organization, is incredibly close with the face of the franchise, and has had slow stretches in the past, only to turn things around and find his usual impactful self. But if he fails to do so while seeking a payday, there's a chance his days as a Knick are numbered.

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