Knicks acquire PG Jose Alvarado from Pelicans in 3-team deal

The New York Knicks pulled the trigger on a trade for Pelicans point guard Jose Alvarado in a deal also involving the Chicago Bulls. NBA insider Shams Charania was first on it.

The deal itself is actually rooted in Chicago. Guerschon Yabusele is headed to the Bulls, while Chicago flips draft bust Dalen Terry to New York. Except at that point, Terry moves again to New Orleans along with two second-round picks.

It’s a literal homecoming for the 27-year-old Alvarado, who played high school ball at Christ The King in Queens before attending Georgia Tech. He went undrafted in 2021 and signed a two-way deal with the Pelicans. Five years later, Alvarado has cemented himself as one of the premier pests in the NBA.

Exactly what the New York Knicks need for the second half of the season. Alvarado has averaged a modest 7.9 points in about 22 minutes per game, but owns a career defensive box plus-minus (DBPM) of 0.5. That might not seem like much, and he’s even at a -0.5 this season, except the Pelicans are, in a word, terrible. They’re racing the Sacramento Kings to the bottom with the Indiana Pacers not far behind.

Being a role player on a bad team isn’t exactly an ideal circumstance. In New York, however? Alvarado is an immediate asset. Think of him as a defensive complement to shooter Landry Shamet.

Better yet is Jose Alvarado provides the Knicks with another gritty backup point guard behind star and team captain Jalen Brunson. Particularly with fan favorite three-and-D Miles “Deuce” McBride now headed for sports hernia surgery. He’ll be out until the playoffs, and swingman Josh Hart is also sitting some games out to manage a bum ankle.

It’s not as though the Knicks are desperate for help on defense. They rank seventh in points allowed. However, they rank 18th in opponent three-point percentage. Alvarado’s ability to smother his opponent should provide instant results.

It’s a perfectly timed trade for New York as well. The Knicks, No. 2 in the Eastern Conference, visit the top-seeded Detroit Pistons on Friday. They trail the Pistons by five games, with plenty of season left to steal the No. 1 spot in the playoffs.

And after Detroit humiliated the Knicks 121-90 back on January 5? Don’t doubt there’s a little revenge game in this matchup.

What’s more, Alvarado should feature prominently off the bench. Whether he’s covering Cade Cunningham or shooter Duncan Robinson, he’ll ensure the Knicks show up better than they did a month ago.

Some Knicks fans might be bummed a trade for Giannis didn’t happen. Lucky for them, they’ll soon experience what Alvarado brings to the table.