Jose Alvarado Nearing Return as Pelicans Eye Second-Half Push
Jose Alvarado is almost back - and not a moment too soon for a Pelicans squad still trying to find its rhythm in a season full of fits and starts. The high-energy guard, known for his relentless defense and spark off the bench, says he's close to returning from an oblique injury that’s kept him sidelined, and he’s itching to get back on the floor.
"I'm close, I'm real close," Alvarado said, his trademark intensity on full display. "If you know me, I'm not sitting out.
I can't sit out. My mind runs crazy, but I'm super close.
I don't know the timelines of what game and stuff, but hopefully on this road trip."
For a Pelicans team that’s been searching for consistency, both in health and performance, Alvarado’s return could be a timely boost. His absence has been felt - not just in the box score, but in the energy department. The 27-year-old has carved out a niche in New Orleans as a tone-setter, the kind of player whose hustle plays can swing momentum and wake up a crowd.
The injury, as Alvarado explained, came on a seemingly routine play - a reminder of how fragile the grind of an NBA season can be.
“It was a simple play against LA,” he said. “I did a cross pass on the right side of the court, and I just felt something tear up the oblique.
Whatever happened, the muscle had a tear from a little injury like that, and it sucks. I felt it right away, and I tried to stay in the game as long as I could.
You know me, I hate sitting out.”
He tried to gut it out, staying in the game despite the pain, but ultimately had to listen to his body. “I tried to come back, but it was too much. I couldn't stand, just trying to stay in the game.”
That kind of toughness is part of what’s made Alvarado such a beloved figure in New Orleans since joining the team in 2021 as an undrafted guard out of Georgia Tech. He’s never shied away from the grind, and he’s never taken his role for granted.
But as the NBA Trade Deadline looms, even players like Alvarado - fan favorites, locker room leaders, energy guys - aren’t immune to the business side of the league. He knows it, and he’s not pretending otherwise.
“You've got to stay level-headed. It's a business at the end of the day,” he said. “You never know, you might get a call and stuff like that, but at the end of the day, it's still basketball.”
That perspective - grounded, realistic, but still focused - is exactly what young teams need when the trade winds start swirling. Alvarado’s message to his teammates? Control what you can, and stay connected.
“If it happens, you know, it happens. We can't change anything,” he said.
“So if anything, if it's going to another team or not, it's still playing basketball. Just got to stay level-headed with this.
Obviously, the timing is a little stressful because you don't know what can happen. We've just got to stay connected at all times.”
The Pelicans are still figuring out who they are this season - a team with talent, yes, but still searching for cohesion. Getting Alvarado back into the mix could help stabilize things, especially as they navigate a crucial stretch of games and the uncertainty that comes with the trade deadline.
Whether his return comes on this road trip or shortly after, the message is clear: Jose Alvarado is ready. Ready to play.
Ready to lead. Ready to bring the fire that’s made him one of the most respected voices in the locker room.
And for a Pelicans team that could use a little extra edge, that return can’t come soon enough.