The New York Knicks are making moves-and they just added a piece that could matter come playoff time.
With the Eastern Conference shaping up to be a slugfest-especially with Boston looming as a potential postseason opponent-the Knicks didn’t wait around as the trade deadline approached. On Thursday, they struck a deal to bring in veteran guard Jose Alvarado from the New Orleans Pelicans, a move that adds grit, defensive intensity, and postseason experience to an already surging roster.
Alvarado isn’t a flashy name, but if you’ve watched him play, you know exactly why this matters. He’s the kind of guy who makes life miserable for opposing ball handlers.
Undrafted out of Georgia Tech in 2021, Alvarado fought his way into the league on a two-way contract and never looked back. He earned his stripes with the Pelicans by doing the dirty work-hounding guards full court, jumping passing lanes, and pulling off those signature sneak-attack steals that earned him the nickname “Grand Theft Alvarado.”
In five seasons with New Orleans, Alvarado became a reliable rotation piece. He’s played in 268 games, averaging 8.1 points, 3.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting a respectable 35.1% from three.
But the numbers only tell part of the story. His impact often came in the moments that don’t show up on a stat sheet-momentum-shifting steals, defensive stands, and the kind of energy that lifts a second unit.
He was especially impactful during the Pelicans’ 2022 playoff push, where his fearless play and timely shot-making helped steady a young roster. And he’s only grown since then. In the 2024-25 season, he notched a career-high 4.6 assists per game, showing improved feel as a facilitator and a better command of the offense when running the second unit.
This year, Alvarado has continued to play his role with consistency. Through 41 games in the 2025-26 season, he’s averaging 7.9 points, 3.1 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in just under 22 minutes per game. He’s also knocking down 36.3% of his threes-an important number for a Knicks team that values spacing and perimeter shooting from its guards.
For New York, this isn’t about chasing headlines. It’s about depth, toughness, and versatility-especially in the backcourt.
Alvarado brings a playoff-tested edge and an ability to change the tempo of a game with his defense. He’s the kind of player who can help swing a quarter, maybe even a game, in a tight playoff series.
And with the Knicks locked in a tight race at the top of the East, every edge matters. Alvarado might not be the star of the show, but he could end up being one of the reasons the Knicks make a deep run this spring.