Josh Hart doubts Knicks extension gets done soon, still wants long-term future

Speaking at the team's media day, the 31-year-old forward said there has been minimal progress toward a new deal even though both he and the Knicks want one.

New York Knicks forward Josh Hart said Monday that he does not expect the club to complete a contract extension with him, telling reporters at the team's media day that negotiations over his future have generated minimal progress.

In comments distributed by SNY Knicks, the 31-year-old said he would gladly sign a new agreement but finds it hard to picture one coming together given how little conversation has taken place. His preference, he explained, is to close the chapter once games begin so his attention stays on basketball rather than business.

Hart also described the personal toll of the limbo. Playing while his situation is unsettled adds a burden, he suggested, and the same uncertainty complicates decisions at home, since he cannot know whether he will remain with the organization in a few months, later in the season, or a full year out.

The veteran is preparing for his fifth season in New York and plays under a deal containing a $22.4 million team option for 2027-28. He has expressed a wish to spend his entire career as a Knick and reaffirmed his attachment to the city, while the organization is similarly interested in retaining him. Financial constraints, however, complicate the path forward, and Hart conceded that the league operates as a business he accepts.

His situation is one of several unresolved items facing the franchise as it arrives at the 2026-27 campaign as the NBA's reigning champions. Replacing Mitchell Robinson and settling Karl-Anthony Towns's extension talks sit alongside Hart's deal on the front office's agenda.

Hart carried real weight in the title-winning season, and his value ran deeper than raw numbers. Over 66 appearances in 2025-26, he averaged 12.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists, converting 50.8 percent of his shots from the field and 41.3 percent from beyond the arc.

A sizable share of his impact comes from concessions he makes within his role, which open up opportunities for teammates such as Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. Combined with a locker-room presence his fellow players gravitate toward, those qualities have made him central to the group.

With opening night nearing, his focus sits on the season ahead and on driving the Knicks back to the NBA Finals. As long as he wears the uniform, he said, he intends to give everything for his teammates and the city, hoping the contractual questions resolve themselves.

By his own read of the situation, an agreement before the regular season tips off appears improbable. Still, the door stays open in his mind for a long-term arrangement to come together at some point.