09 February 2023 , 17:11
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The New York Knicks pulled off an impressive trade during Wednesday's wild night of NBA business with the team acquiring Josh Hart from the Portland Trail Blazers - a move that will please one Knicks star in particular.
The Knicks have been buoyed by the addition of Jalen Brunson this season, who they signed as a free agent after he left the Dallas Mavericks - returning to his hometown team.
Brunson has been impressive so far in his first year in New York, averaging 23 points and six assists as the starting point guard. And now, he'll be reunited with his former Villanova teammate in Hart.
Brunson and Hart formed a formidable backcourt in college basketball for two seasons together, as they were able to win the Pennsylvania college it's first NCAA national championship in over 30 years - both being starting guards.
On Wednesday night, Brunson returned to Villanova to have his #1 jersey retired after his tremendous career at the school.
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And amazingly, whilst on the grounds of the place where he and Hart became close friends, he learned that they would be on the same team once again when the Knicks pulled off a trade.
The Knicks received Hart and traded away Cam Reddish, Svi Mykhailiuk and shockingly, their other Villanova teammate, Ryan Arcidiacono. A first-round pick was also sent to Portland.
Hart will bring scoring and rebounding to the Knicks, also being a tremendous defensive player - making him a perfect fit to play alongside Brunson, as they did so well in college.
Watch above as Jalen Brunson finds out he'll be reunited with Josh Hart with the New York KnicksHart will be seen as an ideal player for head coach Tom Thibodeau stylistically too, who predicates the team on being hard-nosed defensively and staying within your role - something Hart has made a career out of in the NBA. Both Hart and Brunson are under contract with the Knicks for the next few seasons.
For the Blazers, it was a tough one for the team to stomach, who learnt of the trade whilst preparing for a game on Wednesday, an image of superstar Damian Lillard was shared as he became aware of the news - being a big fan of what Hart brought to the team.
It's likely another sign that the team are giving up on winning this season, and attempting to better their odds at a high draft pick in this years upcoming class - featuring highly-rated Victor Wembanyama.