Josh Hart was a big acquisition for the Knicks at the trade deadline a year ago, and Donte DiVincenzo was a key summer free agent acquisition.
After joining forces with former Villanova teammate Jalen Brunson, the two players emerged as key cogs in the Knicks’ transformation this season.
They will also acquire veteran scorers Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks in a deal that releases Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, Malachi Flynn, Ryan Arcidiacono, and two second-rounders. , fully supported the latest shock move made by team president Leon Rose ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. Named by the Pistons.
“Sure. Obviously I hate to see my sweetheart Archie go away. Obviously you hate to see someone go away. Obviously it’s our man.” But yeah, I think it was a really good trade considering what we needed,” Hart said, referring to fellow Villanova graduate Arcidiacono. “Adding AB off the bench, who is a great scorer and playmaker, and then adding Beaujan, a shot maker who can knock down shots and get guys involved, is definitely what we needed. Ta.
“I think Leon and the front office were cooking.”
Of course, Rose also brought in Hart in a trade with the Trail Blazers last February, and re-signed him to a four-year extension worth $81 million in the summer.
Hart has 23 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 12 assists over the past five games, along with Brunson (ankle), who was among the players shorthanded in Monday’s loss to the Mavericks at the Garden. It was his second triple-double in the past five games.
DiVincenzo’s four-year, $50 million contract via free agency also looks like a very valuable deal. He’s averaging 29.2 points and 5.8 3-pointers over the past six games, including 36 on Thursday night.
DiVincenzo has scored 19.1 points per game in his last 21 appearances over the long haul since the Dec. 30 trade for OG Anunoby (another transformative move).
Still, the additions of Burks and Bogdanovic, who have combined for a combined 32.6 points per game this season for the league’s worst Pistons, give coach Tom Thibodeau’s team, which is 16-4 since the start, experience and more offensive options. in 2024.
The two rookies are expected to be available for Saturday night’s game against the Pacers at MSG, a short-handed team that played without three leading scorers in Brunson, Julius Randle (shoulder) and Anunoby (elbow) against the Mavericks. will provide reinforcements to the rotation.
“Proven scorer, proven veteran, proven shooter,” DiVincenzo said. “I think he’s very versatile and can space the floor. He can switch a lot of pick-and-rolls. I think that adds to our depth.
“What gives us a unique lineup this year is that if we get it, we could really have some guys playing 30 games every night.” [minutes], we might be able to play 16, 17 if someone advances it. I think a lot of our veterans and we understand that winning is the most important thing. If everyone believes that, there’s no problem. ”
Hart also said Burks will be able to readjust smoothly to the team because he “knows what to expect” after playing two seasons with Thibodeau and the Knicks.
Additionally, Burks and Bogdanovic are shooting over 40 percent from 3-point range this season, along with Brunson, DiVincenzo and Miles McBride.
And Anunoby, currently injured, is barely below that mark at 39.1 percent in 14 games with the Knicks.
“It’s going to be a big gap,” Hart said of Thursday’s trade. “Whether it’s for Jalen, the OG trying to get to the basket, or they blitz him, you have me or Isaiah.” [Hartenstein] Or maybe someone who can’t afford it can just help.
“So it will help open up the courts a lot.”
