Josh Hart has reportedly accepted his player option with the Knicks with extension talks already in view. What does that mean for NY and James Harden?
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Josh Hart has opted into his player option with the New York Knicks. This is after the deadline for his player option was extended in order to get a deal between the two parties.
It is assumed by a lot of bystanders that an extension between the two sides will commence after the August deadline which will allow the team to offer him a long-term deal where they can offer him $81 million over the next four years.
This is more than he could have made currently with an extension with the team. His earnings were capped at around $18 million per year with a contract by the Knicks due to the CBA reasons.
What does retaining Josh Hart mean for the Knicks' future plans?
Originally, it seemed like the Knicks' main target was Donte DiVincenzo before the news that James Harden news. Now that Harden is on the sign-and-trade block, the Knicks' first operation of the business will be trying to acquire the All-NBA player in all likelihood.
Yes, signing him to a long-term is not a smart idea. Still, the Knicks could view him as a rental. Even if New York were to offer one of the young players in Immanuel Quickley or Obi Toppin, they could still view Harden as a rental for two years. Yes, you would need to re-sign him for another year but it might sense for the All-NBA player if the Knicks are a contending title team.
Still, the Knicks will most likely be holding their assets for next offseason as reported by Adrian Wojnarowski.
New York has a golden chance to win a championship if they are able to acquire another All-NBA player to pair with Jalen Brunson. Wasting assets on James Harden might not be the smartest move for the team. With that in mind, the Knicks may just hold on Harden and go after DiVincenzo instead.
