The New York Knicks won their fifth straight game on Friday night, defeating the Portland Trailblazers 127-97 at Madison Square Garden.
Despite New York's hot streak, the conversation around the Knicks right now isn't about their stellar play, but the upcoming NBA trade deadline and the rampant rumors surrounding Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, whom New York has been linked to since last summer.
With players unsure of their future, Knicks forward Josh Hart was honest when asked by the media after the win over the Blazers about trade rumors and how they can affect him and his teammates.
Josh Hart gets real about trade deadline rumors
"This is my ninth year in the league. I think I've dealt with trade rumors for eight of them. I think the only time I didn't might have been last year when I signed that extension. I literally couldn't get traded until after the deadline," Hart told reporters.
"It's a part of the game. It's part of being in New York. At times, it can get frustrating and overbearing, but that's why you don't really put anything into it because 99% of stuff doesn't even materialize."
Fortunately for the current Knicks, an Antetokounmpo trade is looking less and less likely by the day.
The New York Post's Stefan Bondy said that a trade before the deadline is a "long shot" and "it could be beneficial for this to wait until the summer."
We'll have to wait and see until February 5 if the Knicks end up making any major moves.
More Knicks news: