The New York Knicks are going to have some tough decisions to make in the coming years. A new Karl-Anthony Towns extension. Mikal Bridges needs to be paid. OG Anunoby and even Jalen Brunson, too. And then, there’s Josh Hart. He’s going to need to get paid very soon, and even though the Knicks have plenty of guys to worry about, Hart is one who they need to keep around.
It’s a bit ironic. Backward thinking almost. Of all the five Knicks starters, Hart is probably the least talented. In some people’s eyes, he may be the least important. But in reality, he’s one of the guys the Knicks need to keep around. Role players like Hart – guys who are willing to play their role, play it well, and impact winning at the highest level – are some of the most valuable players in the league.
And considering Bridges, Anunoby, Towns, and Brunson will all inevitably want more money than Hart (probably way more money), then paying the latter will likely end up being the obvious decision.
Knicks should absolutely pay Josh Hart
But how much will Hart want, exactly? Well, take a look at some of the other top role players around the league. Derrick White on the Boston Celtics, Jarrett Allen on the Cleveland Cavaliers, Trey Murphy III on the New Orleans Pelicans.
All three of those players make at or around $30 million per season. Hart is on par with those guys in terms of impact. A guy who impacts winning at a very high level, often without the credit.
A three-year, $90 million deal could make sense for Hart, but there’s a chance he gets even less than that. Perhaps even around the three- or four-year, $75 to $100 million mark.
That seems like a hefty price for Hart, considering how much money he’s made up to this point in his career, but it makes sense when you consider how other teams around the league are built.
One or two high-level players on max contracts (or just below max contracts), and after that, elite role players making good money, but not crazy money.
The problem with New York is that they have four guys who could argue their case for earning max money. Bridges and Anunoby will probably get less than that, but not significantly less than that.
The Knicks would be better off letting at least one of those guys walk and bringing Hart back on one of the deals mentioned above.
Hart is too important a role player for the Knicks to let walk. And paying him over one of their other guys makes more sense from a financial perspective.
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