Trail Blazers shipping Hart to Knicks, sources say

The Portland Trail Blazers are trading Josh Hart to the New York Knicks, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Wednesday night.

In return, New York is sending Cam Reddish and a protected future first-round pick to Portland, sources say.

The deal comes on the eve of the NBA trade deadline.

Acquired in a deadline deal with the New Orleans Pelicans last season, Hart is averaging 9.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4 assists for the Blazers this season. His defense and hustle have been a welcome addition to a Portland team hoping to contend, but his recent 3-point shooting slump and impending free agency led the team to move in a different direction.

Hart, 27, is one of the best undersized rebounders in the league and he’s capable of defending multiple positions. On offense he’s a good facilitator and shoots over 70% at the rim. His 3-point attempts have declined sharply this season, however, down to less than 3 per game after averaging 4 last year.

Hart is making $12.9 million this season and has a player option for the same amount next season.

Reddish, 23, has been looking for a new opportunity after falling out of the rotation with the Knicks. New York acquired the Duke product in a trade with the Hawks last year but Reddish has not played in a game since Dec. 3 and hasn’t started since Nov. 18.

The No. 10 pick in the 2019 NBA draft, Reddish has struggled to find consistent playing time throughout his career but has shown flashes of potential as a scorer at various points.

Reddish is averaging 8.4 points per game while shooting nearly 45% from the field.

He’s in the final year of his rookie season and is set to hit restricted free agency this summer.

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