NBA Trade Rumors: New York Knicks interested in Josh Hart

Josh Hart could be headed to New York. According to a report on Wednesday, Tom Thibodeau's New York Knicks are interested in acquiring Josh Hart from the Portland Trail Blazers. The news, of course, comes at the 11th hour as the trade deadline approaches Thursday afternoon.

HoopsHype broke the news. However, so far there has been no further news in regards to the trade.

The Knicks (30-26) sit in seventh place in a stacked Eastern Conference. Sitting just behind the Miami Heat (29-25) in the standings and 2.5 games ahead of the Atlanta Hawks (27-28), the Knicks need to shake things up.

While they have a top 10 offensive efficiency rating and the 13th-best defensive efficiency, the team has struggled to climb up the standings. Between their lack of a superstar and a tight race in the East between the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, a trade for Josh Hart could provide a much-needed spark.

While Hart wouldn't fill the need of a superstar, his numbers this year indicate that he would quickly prove valuable to the team. Despite the fact that his season scoring averages are down, Hart's place on the Trail Blazers gives him less opportunities to score.

With Damian Lillard serving as the team's primary scorer, Hart has less opportunities to impact the game on offense than he did in recent years. Despite averaging over 30 minutes per game still, Hart doesn't get the looks he did in New Orleans. While many have taken this as evidence that he has regressed, it could also be a lack of opportunity.

Above, you can see some highlights from a recent game on January 22nd where Hart was on triple-double watch with 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Where does Josh Hart fit in with the other New York Knicks trade rumors?

The Knicks have continued to be one of the most talked about teams leading up to the trade deadline. Late last year, it was reported that the team was keeping tabs on the Chicago Bulls' Big Three, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. At the time, he said that it was Zach LaVine who would likely be the primary target for the Knicks.

Of course, that all hinged on whether or not the Chicago Bulls were looking to blow the team up in the midst of their mediocre season. Given that the team has shown in recent weeks that a big move isn't very likely, talk then shifted to the Knicks trading Immanuel Quickley.

New York Knicks vs. Brooklyn Nets

Last month, it was reported that both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Dallas Mavericks were both interested in acquiring Immanuel Quickley. At the time, HoopsHype reported that the Bucks, Mavericks, Wizards and several other teams were all interested in acquiring Quickley.

With the latest developments surrounding a potential Josh Hart trade, it will be interesting to see how this trade deadline plays out in New York. As the hours continue to tick away, it's anyone's guess how things shake out in New York.