Josh Hart definitely getting close to return to…
PHOENIX — Josh Hart, who has missed eight straight video games with a sprained ankle, has progressed to taking contact in follow and is “definitely getting close” to returning, according to Mike Brown.
That update means Hart may play again as early as Sunday in Portland, and the Knicks need him. They’re 3-5 without Hart, including Friday’s 112-107 defeat to the Suns.
He watched the loss from the workforce bench.
Josh Hart, who may return to the Knicks lineup Sunday against Portland, shares a snort with Jalen Brunson during the Knicks’ win over the Clippers on Jan. 7, 2025 at Madison Square Garden. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Hart’s absence has created a playmaking gap, placing more onus on Jalen Brunson to deal with the ball and take up bodily and urgent defenses.
Tyler Kolek, Mikal Bridges and Miles McBride struggled in that function Friday.
“Obviously, we’re trying to give some young guys an opportunity and some guys that aren’t in that situation an opportunity,” coach Mike Brown said. “And they’ve just got to do the best they can.”
Hart, who suffered the injury on Christmas, said on his podcast that spraining his proper ankle made it worse, indicating that it’s not accustomed to therapeutic.
“I’ll be back at some point. We’ll see. Pretty good little sprain,” Hart said. “If this is my left ankle, I’m back by now. Because I’ve had some good ankle sprains on my left ankle. But I haven’t had many good ankle sprains on my right. This was a good one. After this, I won’t have any ligaments to sprain. So I’ll be solid.”
The Wizards still control the Knicks’ draft future and just acquired a four-time All-Star in his prime with their commerce for Trae Young.
Theoretically, that ought to make it more seemingly the Wizards play better and lose their top-8 2026 protected decide to the Knicks.
However, the Wizards’ plan, according to a number of reviews, is to enable Young to sit and relaxation his accidents, quite than compel him to play and increase the workforce’s probabilities this season.
He was already ruled out of Friday’s recreation against the Pelicans with a quad contusion and a knee sprain. It’s the same knee sprain that Young recovered from last month.
In other phrases, the Wizards could be even more seemingly to lose this season after trading CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to the Hawks for Young.
The Wizards are 10-27, the fourth-worst report in the league. A bottom-four end ensures the Wizards keep their decide away from the Knicks, who also have their own first-rounder in 2026 but don’t have another one until 2030.
If the Wizards’ decide doesn’t convey to the Knicks in the next draft, it turns into two second-round picks.
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