One day after New York announced it was pausing every extension negotiation on the roster, Josh Hart reacted to it — though no detail on what he actually said has surfaced. The quiet stretches to preseason basketball too, with the Knicks losing both exhibition games by a combined 25 points.
Hart Speaks
Josh Hart reacted Oct. 10 to the decision tabling his own and Karl-Anthony Towns's extension talks, the first player comment since management pulled the plug Oct. 9. Hoops Rumors flagged the reaction, but what Hart actually said hasn't come out yet. Towns called himself frustrated by the talks back on Oct. 5. Miles McBride has a similar case sitting unresolved, separate from this week's announcement.
Preseason Bruises
New York dropped both exhibition games so far, 97-120 at Philadelphia on Oct. 5 and 109-111 to Washington at home on Oct. 8. Brunson scored 12 and 13 in those two, nowhere close to the number below. The Knicks host Minnesota on Oct. 12, then play Toronto on the 13th and 15th before the games start counting.
The Brunson Number
One figure cuts through the noise: Brunson has hit 30-plus points in three straight games, averaging 37.7 over that stretch. That's well above his 26.0-point mark from a season ago, and it's the clearest sign yet that last season's Finals MVP run wasn't a peak he's done chasing.
Center Still Open
The center spot stayed a four-way scramble into camp — Towns, James Wiseman, Tony Bradley and Andre Drummond all in the mix as of an Oct. 2 breakdown, and nothing since has settled it. Bradley sat out Oct. 8 under coach's decision, which doesn't read like a man winning the job.
Bottom Line
A title defense with payroll already above the luxury-tax line and extension money on ice means every call from here carries weight. Three tune-ups remain before Oct. 20 matters for real against Philadelphia — plenty of time to find out whether two preseason losses mean anything at all.
Are the Knicks still negotiating extensions with Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart?
No. New York announced Oct. 9 it is pausing every extension conversation on the roster, and Hart reacted to that decision on Oct. 10 without detailing what he said.
When do the Knicks play next, and when does the regular season start?
They host Minnesota on Oct. 12, then play Toronto on Oct. 13 and 15, before opening the regular season Oct. 20 against Philadelphia on NBC.
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