The Knicks have reached an agreement to acquire Josh Hart from the Trail Blazers, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Portland will receive Cam Reddish and a protected future first-round pick in return.
Hart has an expiring $12.96M contract, while Reddish is earning $5.95M in the final year of his rookie deal, so at least one more player has to be included to match salaries. Sources tell that Fred Katz of The Athletic that Svi Mykhailiuk ($1.97M) is also headed to the Blazers (Twitter link).
New York appeared to be a late entry into the bidding for Hart, with the first rumors of a deal appearing earlier Wednesday. His toughness and tenacity on defense seem to make him a natural fit for coach Tom Thibodeau.
The Cavaliers and Heat were among the other teams reported to have interest in trading for Hart.
The 27-year-old wing is expected to decline his $12.96M option this summer and seek a long-term deal in free agency. He’s been part of the starting lineup in Portland since the Blazers acquired him at last year’s trade deadline, and he’s averaging 9.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 51 games this season.
The Knicks gave up a first-round pick last February to acquire Reddish, but he has fallen out of favor and hasn’t played since Dec. 3.
The 10th selection in the 2019 draft has washed out in Atlanta and New York, but he will have two months to audition for the Blazers, who can make him a restricted free agent with an $8.1M qualifying offer.
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