The New York Knicks are going to be looking at a variety of ways to improve the roster this offseason. After coming up just short of reaching the NBA Finals this past season, they will want to substantially improve the team to give them a better chance at winning a title.
It is still unclear how they will approach the trade and free agent markets. They are also still in the midst of a head coaching search, so things could look a bit different next season.
Knicks could trade Josh Hart this summer
If they conduct a massive trade, it could come at the cost of one or multiple core pieces. Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale listed Josh Hart as a likely trade candidate should the Knicks make a big move this summer.
“If the New York Knicks are going to do anything substantial this offseason, it will require parting with one of their top six players. Process of elimination narrows it down to Josh Hart or Mitchell Robinson,” Favale wrote. “Hart wins out over Robinson because he’s making $6.5 million more ($19.5 million versus $13 million), but also because he’s less of an anomaly. Nobody else on the roster brings Robinson’s combination of size, interior deterrence, offensive rebounding and (when healthy) mobility.”
Hart is one of the more impactful players on the roster, but it became clear that his fit in the starting five was wonky. He wasn’t aggressively looking to score, which allowed teams to throw their big man on him since he wasn’t much of a threat to score.
Hart must be traded only for a clear upgrade
This, in turn, hurt the Knicks’ floor spacing, as there wasn’t enough offensive aggression from him to help open up the floor. Trading Hart would be a tough decision, as his rebounding and playmaking abilities are still very much useful in a bench role.
However, if they can move him for a clear upgrade, New York shouldn’t hesitate to consider a deal for him. The Knicks are looking to take the next step towards winning a championship, and doing so comes at the cost of making tough decisions.
Ultimately, there is currently no indication that the Knicks are looking to trade Hart, but anything could happen in the coming weeks that quickly changes that.
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