Trade Deadline Throws Wrinkles Into Jazz Knicks Matchup
Feb 7, 2022, 1:28 PM | Updated: 1:38 pm
Immanuel Quickley #5 of the New York Knicks drives against Mike Conley #10 of the Utah Jazz during a game at Vivint Smart Home Arena on January 26, 2021 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The NBA trade deadline is this week and it’s added an extra storyline for both Utah Jazz and New York Knicks who fill faceoff tonight in Salt Lake City.
The Jazz are expected to be players on the trade market with a log jam of offensive talent and a need for more defense.
Meanwhile, the Knicks, who have been one of the league’s most disappointing teams, could be looking for a major shakeup before the trade window closes Thursday.
Jazz Finding Their Bearings
January proved to be one of the most difficult months in recent Jazz memory with the team losing 12 of their 16 contests, due largely to absences from key players.
Rudy Gobert has missed 11 of the Jazz’s last 16 games with COVID-19 and a calf strain which will hold out again against New York.
Donovan Mitchell missed eight straight games with a concussion before returning in Friday’s blowout win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Jazz Injury Report (as of 2/6):
OUT – Rudy Gobert (Left Calf Strain)
OUT – Joe Ingles (Left Knee Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear)
QUESTIONABLE – Jordan Clarkson (Right Knee Soreness)
QUESTIONABLE – Rudy Gay (Right Knee Soreness)
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) February 7, 2022
Joe Ingles was lost for the season with an ACL tear last Sunday, while Jordan Clarkson has missed the last two games with knee soreness.
Both Ingles and Clarkson have had their names floated in trade rumors as the Jazz look to add more versatility to their roster.
“I’ve been traded before,” Clarkson said after Sunday’s practice. “It’s not like it’s something new for me, but it is what it is, it’s part of the business.”
Clarkson has two years and $27 million left on his contract, while Ingles is in the final year of his $14 million deal with the Jazz.
Knicks At A Turning Point
After their surprising run to the playoffs last year, the Knicks have been the of the league’s most disappointing teams this season.
The Knicks are just 2-8 in their last 10 games including Saturday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in which they blew a 21 point first half lead.
Emotions spilled over when star Julius Randle slapped a laptop of a Knicks assistant’s hand mid-game.
Wow Randle pic.twitter.com/Dtfn1dvnpt
— Ahn Fire Digital (@AhnFireDigital) February 7, 2022
Randle and guard Kemba Walker have been the names most frequently thrown around from the Knicks ahead of Thursday’s deadline.
Walker will rest in Salt Lake City on the front end of a back-to-back against the Jazz and Denver Nuggets.
Broadcast
The Jazz and Knicks will tip-off at 7 pm MT and can be heard on The Zone Sports Network. The game will be televised on AT&T SportsNet and FuboTV.
