The Knicks have locked in one of the players who can make a playoff night miserable for the other side.
Jose Alvarado is staying in New York on a three-year deal worth more than $14 million after declining his $4.5 million player option, and the Knicks made the move official after acquiring him from New Orleans during the season. It is not the flashiest contract on the roster, but it may be one of the most useful.
That is because Alvarado was never brought in to be a scoring answer for Jalen Brunson. His job is much more specific: bother the opposing point guard, apply full-court pressure, and give the second unit some bite. He showed exactly how valuable that can be in the Knicks’ Game 4 Finals comeback against San Antonio, when he scored eight points and handed out three assists in the fourth quarter.
What makes him so easy to keep around is that his impact does not depend on whether the jumper is falling. He can hound the ball, chase down loose possessions, and turn a routine stretch into something that changes the energy in the building. That kind of role matters over the course of a season, especially for a team chasing a title.
The Knicks are also keeping a player with a real local connection. Alvarado is a Brooklyn native who attended Christ the King High School, came back to New York in February, and quickly became part of a championship team. That kind of story tends to stick with fans.
There is still some sorting out to do in the backcourt. Landry Shamet is back on a long deal, Jordan Clarkson returned, and Miles McBride is still in the rotation. Alvarado is not going to be handed heavy minutes just because the contract is in place.
That is fine. His value is in the matchups where the Knicks need someone to make life harder on the opposing guard.
He can also work next to Brunson when New York wants more pressure at the point of attack. And when the team needs more size and shooting, they can sit him.
The Knicks clearly see the fit. Alvarado brings edge, defense, and a style that translates when the games tighten up. If New York keeps the role clean and the spacing workable, this looks like a smart piece of the title defense.
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For New York, the timing adds another layer to the conversation because the Knicks had at least some interest in James, and Rich Paul has already said James would have gone to New York if the Knicks had not won the title. McBrides own situation is worth watching, too, with the guard entering the final year of his extension and not guaranteed another deal from the team, so even a joke about LeBron lands in a season where the Knicks have a few future questions of their own. [Read more 🡒]