Hart played college basketball for Villanova. As a sophomore, Hart was named the Big East tournament most outstanding player. He was named a third-team All-American as a junior, when he helped lead the Wildcats to a national championship in 2016. As a senior in 2017, he was a consensus first-team All-American. He played two seasons for the Lakers before being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019 in a package for Anthony Davis. Hart played three seasons with the Pelicans and was then traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in 2022. He was traded to the New York Knicks in 2023.
Early life
Hart was born on March 6, 1995, in Silver Spring, Maryland, to Moses and Pat Hart. He has two siblings.[1] He is also the great-nephew of the baseball catcher Elston Howard.[2] Growing up, Hart gravitated toward basketball, earning a reputation as a high-energy player.[3] While he excelled in basketball from a young age, Hart didn't get any interest from private schools, and enrolled at Wheaton High School.[4] He briefly attended Wheaton before transferring to Sidwell Friends School, where as a junior he averaged 20.6 points and 11.6 rebounds per game.[1] However, he was nearly kicked out of school due to poor grades until several students and parents petitioned the school to give him a second chance.[5] As a senior, Hart averaged 24.3 points, 13.4 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game in leading the team to a 22–9 record. He was a first-team All-Met selection by The Washington Post and Rivals.com's 82nd-ranked prospect in the class of 2013.
After considering Rutgers and Penn State, Hart signed a letter of intent with Villanova in November 2012.[1] "It's about doing the things that the coaches want me to do," he said after committing. "I might not hit the winning three but I'm going to be the one that goes and gets a rebound when we need it and goes on the floor for a loose ball, anything to win."[6]
He got to know future Villanova teammate Kris Jenkins while playing AAU basketball in the Washington area.[7]
Hart reached the level of Eagle Scout in 2013 in Scouting BSA.[8]
College career
Freshman
A 2013–14 Big East All-Rookie Team selection, Hart averaged 7.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per contest as a freshman at Villanova. He was named Big East Rookie of the Week three times.[1] He did not shoot the ball particularly well, making 31 percent of his three-point tries, but possessed "amazing confidence," according to assistant coach Baker Dunleavy.[9] In the second game of his collegiate career, a 90–59 win over Mount St. Mary's, Hart posted a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds.[10] He scored a season-high 19 points in an 88–67 win over Rider on December 21, 2013.[11] Hart had 18 points and eight rebounds in a loss to Seton Hall in the Big East tournament quarterfinals.[7]
Sophomore
Hart and teammate Darrun Hilliard both scored 20 points in an 85–62 rout of Temple on December 14, 2014.[12] Hart scored 21 points in a December 20 game against Syracuse. The Wildcats never led in regulation and were down by 14 points in the second half, but managed to pull out an 82–77 overtime win.[13] On February 28, 2015, in the second half of a game against Xavier, Hart was hit in the mouth during a scramble for the ball, requiring stitches on his lip.[9]
As a sophomore, Hart was named the Big East's sixth man of the year at the conclusion of the regular season. "He's the perfect sixth man because he can come in and play any position except probably point guard," head coach Jay Wright said.[14] Hart was the most outstanding player of the 2015 Big East men's basketball tournament, the first bench player to receive the honor. He was the tournament's leading scorer at 17.7 points per game,[15] including a 20-point performance in an 84–49 quarterfinals victory over Marquette.[16] He improved his three-point shooting to 47.3 percent, forcing opposing teams to guard him more on the perimeter.[9] He improved his season averages to 10.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.[1]
Junior
Hart's 2015–16 Wildcats were the unanimous coaches preseason selection to win the conference.[17] In the NIT season tip-off, Hart scored a career-high 27 points to help Villanova defeat Akron by a score of 75–56.[18] On January 2, 2016, Hart scored 25 points in a win over Creighton.[19] Hart led the Wildcats to reach number one in the AP Poll by climbing to the top of the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings on February 8.[20] He was named to the 35-man midseason watchlist for the Naismith Trophy on February 11.[21]
At the conclusion of the regular season, Hart was unanimously selected first-team All-Big East.[22] Hart was named a third-team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches[23] He then helped Villanova win its second national championship in school history, and first since 1985. On the season, he averaged 15.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. Hart briefly thought about the 2016 NBA draft, but pulled his name out before the deadline.[24]
Senior
Hart as a Villanova senior in 2017
Coming into his senior season, Hart's Wildcats were projected to win the Big East by the coaches and he was named Preseason Player of the Year.[25] He was named to the Associated Press preseason All-America team on November 2, 2016.[26]
In November Hart scored a then-career high 30 points vs Wake Forest in a 96–77 win at the Charleston Classic.[27] On December 10, Hart scored a career-high 37 points along with 11 rebounds and four assists in a 74–66 win over Notre Dame to push No. 1 Villanova to a 10–0 record.[28]
On March 11, 2017, in the regular season finale versus Creighton Bluejays Hart scored 29 points in a 74–60 win.[29] Unlike the previous season, Hart's Villanova career would end in disappointment, when Bronson Koenig outgunned Hart and the other Wildcats while leading the Wisconsin Badgers to a 65–62 victory in the 2nd round in the Tournament.[30]
On January 19, 2022, Hart's number 3 jersey was retired by the Wildcats.[31]
Professional career
Los Angeles Lakers (2017–2019)
Hart was selected in the first round of the 2017 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz with the 30th overall pick. He was subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Lakers along with the 42nd overall pick, Thomas Bryant, in exchange for the Lakers' 28th overall pick, Tony Bradley.[32] In his first start on December 14, 2017, Hart recorded a double-double against the Cleveland Cavaliers, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.[33] Hart fractured his left hand in practice on February 28 and was sidelined until the end of March. In his final game as a rookie, Hart scored a career-high 30 points against the Los Angeles Clippers, shooting 7 of 9 from three. Hart finished the season averaging 7.9 points per game and 4.2 rebounds per game, recording 8 double-doubles. Hart shot 39.6% from three, leading the team in three-point percentage.
Hart was named the league MVP of the 2018 NBA Summer League after averaging 24.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game and setting a new Summer League game-high of 37 points for the Lakers' players.[34] Prior to the 2018–19 season, he switched his jersey to No. 3 after playing with No. 5 as a rookie.[35] On March 28, 2019, the Lakers announced that Hart had undergone a successful ultrasonic debridement procedure on his right knee patellar tendon and was expected to miss the remainder of 2018–19 season.[36]
On November 7, 2022, Hart put up 12 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, alongside a buzzer-beating, game-winning three in a 110–107 win over the Miami Heat.[42]
On February 8, 2023, the Trail Blazers reached an agreement to trade Hart to the New York Knicks for Cam Reddish, Ryan Arcidiacono, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, and draft considerations.[43] The following day, the deal was reworked into a four-team trade involving the Trail Blazers, Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets, with the Knicks receiving Hart, the Trail Blazers receiving Arcidiacono, Reddish, Matisse Thybulle, and draft considerations, the 76ers receiving Jalen McDaniels and the Hornets receiving Mykhailiuk.[44][45] On February 11, Hart made his Knicks debut, recording 11 points, four assists, and seven rebounds in a 126–120 win over the Utah Jazz.[46] On April 16, Hart made his career playoff debut, recording a double double of 17 points and 10 rebounds, along with two assists and a steal in a game 1 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.[47]
On August 10, 2023, Hart signed a four-year, $81 million extension with the Knicks.[48] On January 30, 2024, Hart recorded his first career triple-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 118–103 win over the Utah Jazz.[49] On February 8, Hart recorded his second career triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists in a 122–108 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.[50] On February 26, Hart put up a game-winning layup in a 113–111 win over the Detroit Pistons.[51] On March 18, Hart played all 48 minutes of a victory against the Golden State Warriors, joining Clyde Frazier and Jerry Lucas as the only players in franchise history to accomplish the feat.[52] On April 20, during Game 1 of a first round match up against the Philadelphia 76ers, Hart scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds during a 111–104 win.[53]
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