Jalen Brunson has already packed a lot into this stretch, and the Knicks have a chance to make sure the load doesn’t pile up any further once the next season starts. Jose Alvarado gives them a real tool for that job.
Brunson is coming off the shortest offseason of his career after playing into mid-June and then having to get back to work in October. That matters. Even with his track record of staying healthy, the Knicks have every reason to think about preserving him during the regular season so he’s as fresh as possible when the games matter most in April, May, and hopefully June.
That’s where Alvarado comes in. New York signed him this summer to a three-year, $14.4 million contract, keeping around a player who has already shown he can deliver value. The Knicks acquired Alvarado at the deadline in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans, and the move paid off in the playoffs.
Alvarado did more than just fill space. He closed out a game in the NBA Finals and logged regular bench minutes for Mike Brown. When his number was called, he answered, and that’s exactly what New York needed from him.
Now the Knicks may be able to ask for something a little different: more regular-season minutes that let Brunson breathe. In his 28 games with New York this season, Alvarado averaged 16.9 minutes per game. Brunson, meanwhile, has been around 35 minutes per contest in every season since he joined the Knicks.
That kind of workload is no small thing, especially after a deep playoff run. The Knicks have enough depth to lean on, and there’s no need to put extra wear and tear on Brunson if they can avoid it.
Brown should have the option to use Alvarado more often during the regular season, and that could give Brunson the rest he needs without forcing New York to sacrifice much. For the Knicks, it’s a simple advantage: let Alvarado absorb some of the grind now so Brunson can be at his best when it counts later.
In Other News...
Josh Hart Is At The Center Of The Knicks' Next Cap Squeeze
Josh Hart has already played a role in the Knicks roster-building flexibility once, and that matters now as the team keeps staring at a tighter cap picture. In 2023, Hart opted into the final year of his previous deal, a move that helped New York use the full mid-level exception and bring in Donte DiVincenzo, who quickly became a major piece of the Knicks rotation and later part of the Karl-Anthony Towns trade.
Hart is now in the third season of his four-year, $80.9 million extension, with a $22.4 million team option sitting on the books for 2027-28. The Knicks can hope for savings elsewhere as they map out the next few seasons, but Harts contract structure makes him one of the more important names to watch as the front office tries to keep the roster together without boxing itself in. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Face A Massive Karl-Anthony Towns Decision Soon
Karl-Anthony Towns is already sitting at the center of the Knicks next big roster question, and it is one that will shape how much flexibility the front office has going forward. He is set to make $57.1 million next season and carries a $61 million option for 2027/28, while also being eligible for a four-year extension that would put New York in a far more expensive long-term position.
For the Knicks, the issue is not just whether Towns is worth the money, but how to balance that commitment against the rest of the roster and the realities of the salary cap. There are different paths ahead, and each one carries a different level of risk for both sides, which is why the decision is already looming as one of the most important contract calls on the teams calendar. [Read more 🡒]