Ranking 10 games Knicks fans should be amped up for in 2022-23

6. New York Knicks vs Utah Jazz (Feb. 11)

In a game that will strategically happen just a few days ahead of the NBA trade deadline, the Knicks will host the Jazz.

In case you’ve been stuck in a bunker for the last few months, this is a pretty big deal, because talks have emerged all summer about New York prioritizing a trade to land Utah star Donovan Mitchell.

As of now, there’s no telling when or if this trade will get done. Mitchell doesn’t become a free agent until 2025, assuming he declines his player option if it reaches that point. Jazz owner Danny Ainge is as patient and acquisitive as they come, wanting the very best deal for his star.

On the contrary, the Knicks have the assets to get the deal done. An array of picks combined with plenty of young talent make New York the perfect trade partner for Utah. And when New York is in any news this big, it’s going to be overplayed.

Assuming the Knicks don’t get a deal done and this game gets played right before the deadline, all of the talk will be about if Mitchell will soon be in an orange and blue jersey.

On the other hand, if a deal does get done, it’ll be Mitchell’s first and only game at Madison Square Garden against his former team. Expect animosity if that’s the case.

If you want to add even more fuel to the fire, the NBA All-Star break is February 17-19, so the trade deadline will likely be just a few days after that (it hasn’t been announced yet).

Oh, and the All-Star break is in no other place but Salt Lake City. So, literally no matter what happens (unless Mitchell is traded to another team), this game is bound. to have pages and pages of storylines.