After draft disappointment, Knicks' Josh Hart has found his NBA home

New York Knicks guard Josh Hart.

Josh Hart seems to be in the perfect spot now with the New York Knicks, the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

Originally, though, he wanted to play for his current playoff opponent in the seventh-seeded Philadelphia 76ers.

In a recent media availability, Hart stressed how leading into the 2017 NBA Draft, he wanted Philadelphia to select him. The Sixers would go in a different direction with their then-25th overall pick, and Hart would later be drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 30.

As a former stud at nearby Villanova, where he won the 2016 NCAA title, Hart didn’t get that draft wish granted during those days.

With that then-25th selection acquired from the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia drafted European big man Anzejs Pasecniks. Pasecniks did not end up playing for the 76ers; he would appear briefly in points with the Washington Wizards in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

Conversely, Hart has carved out a nice NBA career to this point, but he’s had to prove himself over time on multiple teams.

He played with the Lakers his first two seasons following a draft night trade with the Utah Jazz before being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. He was with New Orleans from the 2019-20 season until near the 2022 trade deadline, when he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. He was with Portland prior to being dealt again to the Knicks near the 2023 deadline.

Throughout his tenure in the Association, though, Hart has established himself as a quality role contributor, and he’s been terrific with New York. With the Knicks’ injury situation being so difficult to navigate at various points this season, players like Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, in particular, were thrust into larger roles, and they’ve delivered.

In Hart’s case, he averaged 9.4 points, a career-high 8.3 rebounds and a robust 4.1 assists per contest in the regular season. However, he has stepped up big time early in the playoffs and made his presence felt in the 2023 postseason.

Through the Knicks’ first two games of their first-round series against the Sixers, Hart had 21.0 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per contest. A workhorse throughout much of the regular season, Hart has also played in 44.4 minutes per game so far in the playoffs.

Hart was a winner at Villanova, and he clearly wanted to have the chance to win with the Sixers after his tenure with Nova was concluded. That didn’t materialize, and if Hart and the Knicks (up 2-1 in the series) emerge victorious in upcoming games in Philly, that’d sting for Sixers fans.

All the more ironically, Hart found his NBA home for good in New York, too, signing a four-year, $80.9M extension with the Knicks last August.

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