It wasn’t a blockbuster trade. It didn’t land the Knicks an All-Star nor did it require team president Leon Rose to make a major dent into his stockpile of draft picks.

No, the Knicks’ acquisition of Josh Hart wasn’t a monster move that set Twitter ablaze. It was, however, exactly what was needed for Tom Thibodeau’s team.

Hart is a hard-nosed, defensive-minded wing who improves the Knicks’ depth — he feels like the kind of team-first guy Thibodeau would create in a lab — plus he is very close to star point guard Jalen Brunson, having played with him at Villanova, and didn’t cost very much. The Knicks, according to reports, sent little-used wing Cam Reddish and non-contributors Ryan Arcidiacono and Svi Mykhailiuk to the Trail Blazers along with a 2023 first-round pick that is lottery-protected. If the Knicks finish in the lottery, they keep the pick and it becomes four second-rounders in the future. Even if they lose the pick, they still own 10 first-rounders over the next seven years.

But adding Hart gives the Knicks a better shot to avoid the lottery and reach the playoffs for the second time in three years. Most importantly, it is a sign that the front office believes in this team, which deserved reinforcements. They had proven worthy of further investments. They are half a game behind the Heat for the coveted sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, and have shown all season the promise, potential and fight that warrants action.