Josh Hart wants the finger questions to stop, so he answered them all at once. Responding on social media Tuesday to a photo of him practicing with the digit taped, the Knicks guard laid out exactly why he has not had it repaired.

“Just so I don't got to answer this question anymore. There is no other surgery for me to get besides a joint replacement,” Hart wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “If I get a joint replacement, I can't play with it and my career is over. So it will be wrapped until I retire.”

The injury dates back to the 2025 playoffs, when Hart hurt the ring finger on his shooting hand during New York's run to the Eastern Conference Finals. He had a procedure that July, then re-aggravated it in a workout before training camp. Doctors recommended a second surgery that would have cost him two to three months. He declined, put on a splint and played the entire championship season with it.

Whatever the discomfort, it did not show in the results. Hart shot 41.3 percent from three last season, a significant jump from 33.3 percent the year before, while averaging 12 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.1 steals. He took on heavier defensive responsibility so Jalen Brunson could focus on the offensive end, and New York ended a 53-year title drought by beating the Spurs in five games.

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The decision stands out against how his teammates handled similar situations. Brunson played through a left wrist injury during the playoffs and used the offseason to have it fixed. Hart had the same window available and passed on it again.

The stakes extend beyond this season. Hart earns $20.9 million this year with a $22.4 million team option for 2027-28, and he became eligible in August for an extension worth up to $132 million over four years. The second apron makes anything near that ceiling unlikely, and his durability factors into whatever number the Knicks eventually land on.

Hart has made his priority plain enough. He has missed only a handful of games since arriving in 2023, and he intends to keep it that way.