The Knicks put out a statement on Friday that they’re tabling contract talks with players who are eligible for extensions until later in the 2026/27 season.

One of those extension-eligible players, Josh Hart, spoke about his contract situation at media day last month, acknowledging that he’d prefer to get a deal done sooner rather than later and suggesting that extension standoffs can “wear people down” if they remain unresolved indefinitely.

“Hopefully, we can figure that out,” Hart said at the time. “We know it’s a business and we know if some of these things aren’t figured out by February, it might be a different conversation.”

However, the veteran guard/forward’s stance softened somewhat when he was asked about the team’s statement on Saturday, as SNY Knicks relays (Twitter video link).

“I don’t know. I mean, everything’s gonna work out,” Hart said. “I’m not really too stressed over it, putting too much into it. Obviously, we have high expectations. It’s good we’re able to just focus on the season and keeping it moving.”

According to Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News, Hart said he wasn’t frustrated by the situation in part because of his contract — he’ll earn about $20.9MM this season, with the Knicks holding a $22.4MM team option 2027/28.

“No, because at the end of the day, I’m still under contract in New York. We have a hell of a team that’s going to try and repeat. [And] I’m in an amazing situation off the court, so it’s not frustrating,” Hart said. “Obviously, you want to get some of those things done, but if it doesn’t, it’s nothing where you lose sleep over. We’re blessed to be out here playing basketball for a living.

“So, you know, it’s not frustrating. You just got to make sure you’re able to block out the noise and whatever rumors that whoever, a random person said, their sources said, et cetera, on Twitter. Just got to block that out and keep it moving.”

Still, Hart admitted it will be “difficult” to completely ignore his contractual future at times, Winfield writes.

“There’ll be days where you don’t think about it, where you’re just like, ‘You know, [expletive] let’s go hoop,” said Hart. “And then other days where it’s top of the mind. We’re human. Sometimes it’s difficult, if you don’t know what your future is. So sometimes that’s tough battling that with some days, and some days you’re not even worried about it. You’re just focused on going out there and hooping.

“Obviously there’s a humanity side to it, but right now I’m cool. I’m focused on the season.”

Winfield hears Hart has been willing to accept “significantly less” than the max he’s eligible to receive ($132MM over four years) in order to help the Knicks keep their core together in future seasons.

Shams Charania and Bobby Marks of ESPN (YouTube links) reported on Friday’s NBA Today that Hart’s and Karl-Anthony Towns’ agents (both are represented by CAA, notes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post) have presented scenarios to the team where both players would receive extensions that would enable the Knicks to avoid going over the second apron in 2027/28. Obviously, nothing has materialized on that front.

Charania said Towns has been willing to take “tens of millions” less than his max ($276MM over four years), but the Knicks have been unwilling to go higher than around $200MM over four years, which Towns reportedly views as “too extreme of a pay cut.” The star big man will earn $57.1MM this season and holds a $61MM player option for 2027/28.

Towns admitted earlier this week that he has been frustrated by his contract extension negotiations with the Knicks, telling reporters that he and the team weren’t close to reaching a deal and that he was surprised there was such a significant gap between the two sides on the heels of a championship season.

Miles McBride, who’s also extension-eligible, previously conceded he was “a little disappointed” in the lack of momentum in his contract talks with the Knicks.