Knicks’ Josh Hart Was ‘a Little Bummed’ 76ers Passed on Him in 2017 NBA Draft

Adam WellsApril 25, 2024

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

The New York Knicks are reaping the benefits of having Josh Hart on their roster, but the former Villanova star admitted there was a time when he wanted to play for the team they are currently beating in the NBA playoffs.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Hart said he felt “a little bummed out” the Philadelphia 76ers passed on him with the 25th pick in the 2017 NBA draft.

Stefan Bondy @SbondyNBAThe Sixers passed on all the Villanova champions in the draft. Josh Hart said today he was “bummed” they didn’t take him with the 25th pick (he went 30th to the Lakers):

“I wanted to go here. They were at 25. They did a draft-and-stash, some European guy that I can’t pronounce…

No team had a better opportunity to scout the Villanova teams that won national titles in 2015-16 and 2017-18 than the Sixers. The Wildcats are based in a Philadelphia suburb and play major home games during the regular season at Wells Fargo Center, home of the 76ers.

Hart wasn’t on that second title team, but his fellow Knicks teammates Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo were. He was named Big East Player of the Year and a consensus All-American first-team selection during his final season at college in 2016-17.

The Maryland native was originally selected with the final pick of the first round in the 2017 draft by the Utah Jazz, who traded his rights to the Los Angeles Lakers. He bounced around the league with stints on the New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers before getting traded to New York in February 2023.

Anžejs Pasečņiks was drafted at No. 25 by the Orlando Magic, who traded his rights to the Sixers. They renounced his draft rights two years later and he wound up signing with the Washington Wizards, but only played in 28 NBA games before being waived in January 2021.

Hart is averaging 21.5 points on 53.3 percent three-point shooting, 14.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals in the first two games of the Knicks’ playoff series against the 76ers.

New York owns a 2-0 series lead over the Sixers going into Friday’s game at Wells Fargo Center.