NBA Rumors: The New York Knicks are widely expected to re-sign one of the team’s key cogs to their playoff run this offseason.
The New York Knicks playoff run has been somewhat surprising to some. Even though they find themselves down 2-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Miami Heat, few even expected them to be in this position after drawing a first-round matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
And they could easily find themselves in a three-game series with the Heat if they can somehow win Game 4 on the road Monday night, which is not that outlandish of an outcome. Nevertheless, even if the Knicks’ season does end this week against the Heat, it’s been a successful year for New York.
Heading into the offseason, one of the keys for the Knicks will be to keep the productive parts of this roster together and require New York to add to their core. With that understanding, you can make the argument that one of the priorities for the Knicks heading into the offseason will be re-signing Josh Hart.
And the good news is that it’s widely believed, according to a recent report (subscription required) that he’s a near lock to re-sign with the Knicks. Considering that he could end up being one f the most sought-after free agents this summer, with how well he’s played in New York, that’d be a huge boost to the Knicks heading into next season.
Josh Hart has been one of the New York Knicks’ most important players in the postseason
You can make the argument that aside from Jalen Brunson, Hart has been one of the more important players for the Knicks in the playoffs. During New York’s first-round win over the Cavs, Hart averaged 12 points and eight rebounds on 56 percent shooting from the field and 46 percent shooting from 3-point range.
He hasn’t been as efficient against the Heat, but he’s still averaging 13 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists through three games against Miami. Hart is on track to receive a very nice payday that will likely come via the Knicks this summer.
New York could very well be looking to make some big additions this offseason but part of a successful summer for the team involves re-signing Hart. After acquiring him at the NBA Trade Deadline, he has emerged as one of the team’s key cogs.
So far so good on the Hart front. The future is bright for the Knicks. They’re just getting started.