NBA
JH
#3

Josh Hart

Forward · New York Knicks · 6'5", 215 lb · Born Mar 6, 1995 · Silver Spring, Maryland · Drafted 30th overall, 2017
2026 ChampionMinutes leader (2025)Triple-double glue guyNCAA champ (2016)
NBANew York KnicksForwards
Compare:vs Brunsonvs Clarksonvs Alvaradovs Townsvs Shametvs Bridges
In short

Josh Hart is a high-motor glue guy for the 2026 NBA champion New York Knicks — a rebounding, playmaking wing and iron-man minutes leader. A 2016 NCAA champion at Villanova (with Jalen Brunson) and 2017 Big East Player of the Year, he was drafted 30th in 2017 and reached New York in 2023. He set a Knicks record with nine triple-doubles in 2024-25 and grabbed 15 rebounds in Game 1 of the 2026 Finals.

Matchup model · next gameMedium confidenceSat, Nov 14
vsOrlando MagicSwitch-heavy
Proj. points
11.9
range 9.2–14.6
Line 12
49%
to go over
Team win
61%
113–111
Poi 11.9 Lean underReb 7.4 Lean underAss 4.8 Lean underPRA 24.1 Lean over
Likely on himJalen Suggs· 84 Perimeter DStrong defender
10+ pts74%15+ pts15%

Model lines Hart at 11.9 pts (range 9.2–14.6) vs a 12 line — roughly a coin flip to clear it (49%).

Biggest edge: venue — home floor — small boost.

Full matchup breakdown · all markets →
Balladex Matchup Model — modeled from real roster ratings, scoring baselines & defender-matchup history. Schedule, availability & head-to-head samples are illustrative in this prototype; production wires live schedule, injury & player-tracking feeds. Not betting advice.
✦ Ask anything about Hart
The Hart Story — narrated
Tap play to hear his story, told as a 90-second short.
🔊 Prototype uses your browser's built-in voice. Production would use a studio-grade AI narrator.

A do-everything glue guy who rebounds and plays 48 minutes — and won a title with his college roommate.

Hart won the 2016 NCAA title at Villanova with Jalen Brunson and was 2017 Big East Player of the Year before going 30th in the draft.

🏫 Villanova · 2016 champ30th, 2017

After the Lakers, Pelicans, and Blazers, he joined the Knicks in 2023 and became a connective, rebounding force.

LAL · NOP · POR → NYKGlue guy

He led the NBA in minutes in 2024-25 and set a Knicks record with nine triple-doubles.

⏱️ Minutes leader9 triple-doubles

On the 2026 champions he grabbed 15 rebounds in Game 1 of the Finals — and reunited with roommate Brunson to win it all.

🏆 2026 champion15 reb · Finals G1
— end of story —
Want the full numbers? Open the breakdown →
PPG
12
2025-26
RPG
7.4
per game
APG
4.8
per game
FG%
.508
.413 from three
LIFE

Roots & the rise

The relentless glue guy of a champion — a rebounding, playmaking iron man who does everything but shoot the lights out.

Joshua Aaron Hart was born in Silver Spring, Maryland and won the 2016 NCAA title at Villanova alongside Jalen Brunson before being named 2017 Big East Player of the Year. Drafted 30th in 2017, he passed through the Lakers, Pelicans, and Trail Blazers before landing with the Knicks in 2023.

In New York he became the connective heart of a contender: he led the NBA in minutes per game in 2024-25, set a franchise record with nine triple-doubles that season, and rebounds and playmakes like few wings in the league. On the 2026 champions he posted a 15-rebound, 6-assist Game 1 of the Finals — the most rebounds by a backcourt player in a Finals game in decades.

Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference, ESPN.

BEYOND THE GAME

Beyond the game

Hart's life is intertwined with Brunson's: the two won a college title together at Villanova, reunited in New York, and co-host the popular 'Roommates' podcast. An Eagle Scout with a great-uncle in Baseball Hall of Famer Elston Howard, Hart married Shannon Phillips and the couple welcomed twin boys in 2023. He's an avid gamer who streams Call of Duty.

His game is pure effort — rebounding, diving for loose balls, and playing heavy minutes without complaint. He led the league in minutes per game in 2024-25 and has played multiple full 48-minute games, the embodiment of a coach's ultimate trust in a do-everything wing.

PERSONALITY

The person

A high-energy, do-everything glue guy — rebounding, playmaking, and iron-man minutes over shot-hunting.

Rebounding wingElite on the glass for a guard; a franchise-record nine triple-doubles in 2024-25.
Iron manLed the NBA in minutes per game in 2024-25; plays full games without rest.
ConnectorHustle, playmaking, and defense — the winning plays box scores miss.
PLAYER DNA

Archetype & ratings

Archetype
Glue Guy · Connector
Temperament
Connector
Leadership
58/100
Scoring61
Playmaking56
Rebounding68
Perimeter D74
Rim protection49
Spacing74
Athleticism70
Clutch63
Hustle glueRebounding wingChampion
ANALYSIS

What the numbers say

The connective glue

Hart's box score never captures his value: he rebounds like a big, pushes the ball in transition, defends multiple positions, and makes the extra pass. His nine-triple-double season and league-leading minutes are the signature of a player coaches simply cannot take off the floor — the connective tissue of a champion.

The shooting question, answered by effort

Hart isn't a high-volume shooter, and defenses sometimes sag off him, but he compensates with relentless offensive rebounding, cutting, and playmaking. On a team with Brunson's creation and Towns's and Anunoby's spacing, his job is to do everything else — and his 15-rebound Finals Game 1 showed exactly how much 'everything else' is worth.

STATS

Season by season

Per game

SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
2025-266630.212.07.44.8.508.413

Source: Basketball-Reference.

ADVANCED

Advanced & historical

Where he sits in history

2024-25Led the NBA in minutes per game; set a Knicks record with nine triple-doubles
2026NBA champion; 15 rebounds in Game 1 of the Finals
College2016 NCAA champion and 2017 Big East Player of the Year at Villanova

Playoffs

Finals G1
15 rebounds
Role
Glue guy starter
Energy
Relentless
Title
2026 champion

Hardware

1×
NBA Champion (2026)
1×
NBA minutes leader (2025)
1×
NCAA Champion (2016)
OUTLOOK

Where it's headed

AI-generated · updated July 13, 2026

The connective glue guy of a champion — rebounding, playmaking, and iron-man minutes.

On a four-year, $81 million deal, Hart is the do-everything wing every contender wants: he rebounds, playmakes, defends, and never leaves the floor. His shooting is the lone limitation, but his winning impact is foundational.

Rebounding (wing)Elite
Motor / minutesElite
PlaymakingStrong
Three-point shootingStreaky

Contract

Deal
4 yr / $81M signed 2023
Role
Glue wing starter
Age
31 prime
Bottom line

A champion's connective glue — rebounding, playmaking, and playing every minute. He won a title with his college roommate, doing all the things that don't make highlights.

FAQ

Quick answers

What makes Josh Hart valuable?

He's a do-everything glue guy — elite rebounding for a wing, playmaking, defense, and iron-man minutes; he led the NBA in minutes in 2024-25 and set a Knicks record with nine triple-doubles.

Are Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson friends?

Yes — they won the 2016 NCAA title together at Villanova, are teammates on the Knicks, and co-host the 'Roommates' podcast.

What did Josh Hart do in the 2026 Finals?

He grabbed 15 rebounds with 6 assists in Game 1 — the most rebounds by a backcourt player in a Finals game in decades — as the Knicks won the title.