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3 Contracts Knicks should model Josh Hart’s new deal after

By Josh Cornelissen

Feb 11, 2023; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) dribbles up court during the first half against the Utah Jazz at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 11, 2023; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) dribbles up court during the first half against the Utah Jazz at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Josh Richardson, San Antonio Spurs. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) – New York Knicks /

The Knicks can model Josh Hart’s contract off of Josh Richardson

Josh Richardson originally signed a four-year, $41.97 million contract when he played for the Miami Heat. He then spent the next few years of his career being traded around the league, going from Miami to Philadelphia, then to Dallas, and then landed in Boston in the summer of 2021.

That’s where our story picks up. Richardson was entering the final year of his contract, and while at one point he looked like a budding star, Richardson’s play had been very up-and-down. If he had another shaky year his contract offers may have dried up, but he also didn’t want to lock in a long contract at a low salary if he believed he could play at a higher level. The Celtics didn’t want to lose him but also didn’t want to overpay.

The compromise was adding a single year to his contract at a $12.20 million number which was a slight raise on his final season. That gave Richardson some financial security while allowing him to play his way towards a better long-term deal, and the Celtics retained the asset without locking themselves into a salary they may not want long-term.

The reason this sort of deal would be an option for the Knicks is that they will be undergoing some big changes to their roster over the next couple of seasons. They will almost certainly be making offers for any stars that come on the market, and at this point, it’s unclear who those stars might be. Signing Hart to a one-year deal retains his Bird Rights for the following summer (when they have a lot more salary flexibility) and gives them the ability to sign him to a longer deal in the summer of 2024 or let him walk if they’ve loaded up at his position.

Let’s say the Knicks offer a one-year, $16 million deal. Would Hart want to play on such a contract? If he thinks that next season his role will increase and that he can play his way into a more lucrative deal he could say yes, but it seems that he would rather secure a multi-year contract this summer.

Verdict: Unlikely

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