Bee: After finally playing, Hart ponders future

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http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/79415.html

Kings Notes: After finally playing, Hart ponders future

The reserve guard wants more chances to get on the floor.

By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer


Whether it's in Sacramento or elsewhere, Jason Hart is not done yet.
The veteran point guard, who saw his first action of the regular season Thursday night at Golden State, said he still has plenty to offer at the NBA level, never mind his limited role thus far this season.
"I'll be a free agent at the end of the year, so I've got to play hard and play every game like it's my last," Hart said. "I was the only one who hadn't played, probably, in the NBA, so it felt good to get a chance to play. ... It's not my last year in the NBA. By no means. By no means."
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Hart said he had wondered if his next career move would come before the regular season. Hart, who will be paid $1.68 million this season in the final year of his contract, said he approached Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie during training camp to ask if he was going to be waived before the regular season. Petrie, Hart said, told him he would not be.
Hart also said his agent, Bill Neff, has discussed trade possibilities on more than one occasion with Petrie, hoping to keep his player from the sort of dead-end role he's held of late.
"I was just trying to see if there's an opportunity, if there's not an opportunity; 'Do I fit or do I not fit?' " Hart said of his talk with Petrie. "I understand the business, but I'm 28 years old. If they're going another direction, then I can respect that. I probably don't agree with it, but it's a business and that's how it goes.
"I just want an opportunity to go somewhere, if (a trade) did happen, to play. It's nothing personal."
After playing sparingly during the exhibition season and sitting for the first seven regular-season games, Hart had a long-awaited breakout of sorts Thursday, scoring nine points on 3-for-5 shooting in 21 minutes against the Warriors. There was no time for the rust factor, Hart said, when Kings coach Eric Musselman called his number.
"When you get an opportunity, and they don't come often, you'd better make good on it," Hart said. "You're not only playing for Sacramento, but you're playing for other teams as well, so you've got to be able to perform anytime your name is called. ... I'm playing to win, but I'm also showcasing myself in case I'm not here. It's not my last year in the NBA."
The Kings acquired Hart from Charlotte in July 2005 for a second-round draft pick. While the veteran has played for four teams in his six-season career, his finest campaign was with the Bobcats in 2004-05, when he averaged 9.5 points and five rebounds as both a starter and reserve.
 
I'm not sure where you saw that he asks to be traded, I think he was impying about the opportunity to be moved if their was one. I dunno, I just felt the context of the title was misleading. It sounded more like a trade request/demand rather than the "inquiry" that it really was.
 
Hart had a choice to exercise his player option, and get $1.7M on a team where he wasn't really wanted, or to try the FA market, where he might get more minutes but less money.

He made his choice.

I wish I could sit on my butt for $1.7M a year.
 
Give me a break. The guy thought he'd be given a chance to play and it's clear that's not going to happen. I don't know how anyone can blame him for wanting to play. I don't think Hart is particularly good, but I completely understand him wanting to play. I'm surprised more veteran 10th-12th guys don't say the same thing.
 
I'm playing to win, but I'm also showcasing myself in case I'm not here.

I hope this guy doesn't get one more minute of PT again... Showscasing yourself? Great... Like I want to see more one on one dribbling and trying to bury shots with a hand in his face... Sometimes this guy plays like he thinks he's Allen Iverson... Now I know why...
 
As "trade requests" go this one is pretty much innocuous. The player doesn't matter, has no trade value, and to be fair it makes sense from his perspective too. If you're going to be a free agent and your team doesn't play you at all, you are getting screwed. Makes things much much harder the next summer. Same deal for Pot, and would have been for Corliss until we decided he was the #2 center in the West behind Yao. Nothing unreasonable about Hart's desires here, just unrealistic. We might have trouble trading him to the Beijing Fighting Pandas for a bucket of chicken lo mein. His best hope of escaping town is as part of a larger deal where we used his small ender to balance things out.
 
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I've amended the thread title to reflect the title of the article. Using "Hart demands a trade" was terribly misleading, IMHO...
 
Hart had a choice to exercise his player option, and get $1.7M on a team where he wasn't really wanted, or to try the FA market, where he might get more minutes but less money.

He made his choice.

I wish I could sit on my butt for $1.7M a year.

Couldn't have siad it any better!
 
Hart had a choice to exercise his player option, and get $1.7M on a team where he wasn't really wanted, or to try the FA market, where he might get more minutes but less money.

He made his choice.

I wish I could sit on my butt for $1.7M a year.


and he gets to go to all the kings games for free with front row seat. hell i would do it for just the .7m a year.
 
If I were Jason I'd probably want to be traded too. Him playing this season or not could mean the difference of being in the NBA or Euroleague next year.
 
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