In some ways, it starts with Josh Hart. Hart, Donte DiVincenzo’s college teammate at Villanova, has a $13 million player option for 2023-24. He was widely expected to opt out of the deal and become a free agent. But the Knicks and Hart recently agreed to push the date to decide on the option to Thursday. This suggests that Hart’s decision could impact a corresponding move for New York. I assume that corresponding move involves making a run at DiVincenzo. As SNY reported, prominent members of the Knick organization are in favor of pursuing DiVincenzo in free agency. There is mutual interest between the Knicks and DiVincenzo. -via SportsNet New York / June 28, 2023

New York will have competition. Minnesota, Chicago and Detroit are among the teams with interest in DiVincenzo, as other outlets have reported. Minnesota and Chicago both could have access to the non-taxpayer midlevel exception. Detroit projects to have cap space and could exceed the amount of the exception available to New York, Chicago and Minnesota. -via SportsNet New York / June 28, 2023

Josh Hart and the New York Knicks have agreed to extend a midnight ET deadline on Saturday for his $12.9 million player option until Thursday, sources told ESPN. Hart, a priority to retain on a new deal, could opt in and extend off that salary number for next season or decline the option and become an unrestricted free agent eligible to sign a new deal with the Knicks or another team. An option for Hart that would deliver the Knicks cap flexibility would be an opt-in and extension off his $12.9 million for next season — which he is eligible to do for up to 140% of that salary. This would give the Knicks access to using their full $12.4 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception. The Knicks have $149 million in guaranteed salary on the books for next season, which is $16 million below the luxury tax level. -via ESPN / June 25, 2023