Knicks and Nets are facing off for the third time this season. However, they will be two different teams to the ones that challenged each other at the end of January, especially as regards the Nets.
Kyrie Irving requested a trade on February 3, Brooklyn traded him to Dallas for Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie. A few days later, the Nets unexpectedly traded Durant to the Suns for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Jae Crowder. The Nets roster is very different.
New York made a move before the deadline, sending Cam Reddish, Svi Mykhailiuk and Ryan Arcidiacono to the Trail Blazers for Josh Hart. The 27-year-old made his Knicks debut in Saturday’s 126-120 win over the Jazz and finished with 11 points (3-of-6), seven rebounds and four assists.
Hart’s second game of his Knicks career will be just as special as his first. He and Jalen Brunson, who were teammates at Villanova when they won the national championship in 2016, will face Mikal Bridges, who was also part of that championship squad.