There are few players who bring a higher level of compete to the NBA floor than Josh Hart. The Los Angeles Lakers got to watch plenty of that when he was donning purple and gold for two season in Hollywood. Landing him with the 30th pick of the 2017 NBA Draft was a major addition.
To be clear, the Lakers should have no regret about the fact that Hart is thriving elsewhere. The former draft steal was an important piece in the Anthony Davis trade that brought Los Angeles its 17th championship. Where is the regret to be found in that?
While the Lakers should not be watching Hart's performances with any fear of missing out, they should take notice of the kind of impact he brings to the New York Knicks. The Knicks wing is oozing with the kind of characteristics that Rob Pelinka should be looking for in building around Luka Doncic.
Lakers will need players who can replicate Josh Hart's tenacity around Luka Doncic
Rewind to the 2025 offseason and look at the Marcus Smart signing. The veteran guard proved to be an excellent fit in Los Angeles thanks to a lot of the intangibles that are brought to the floor every time he steps on it. That is something Hart shares in common with the Lakers guard.
From a mindset standpoint, who does not love sharing the court with teammates who do the dirty work? There is always room for guys that dive for loose balls, hound opposing players, and give a seemingly endless supply of effort. Hart is excellent proof of that.
How many other players of his size exist that can impact the glass in the way he does? That is just one of the examples of Hart creating value from his effort and motor.
"His energy is just relentless, doesn't stop," Jalen Brunson said of his Knicks teammate.
Effort also just happens to be one of the things Doncic's naysayers will highlight with regularity when trying to bring him down. They slam Luka for choosing to complain to referees instead of hustling back on defense.
Those criticisms are largely overplayed, but if the Lakers truly want to shut up those talking points, bringing in multiple players who naturally raise those effort levels through their hustle on the court would do the trick. Smart was a great start. Los Angeles should keep adding.
Those types of people will be out there in free agency. Some of them may not even be all too expensive either. Having 9 Josh Harts in the rotation may be overdoing it, but having multiple players of that mold never truly hurts.
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