New York Knicks Trade for Jose Alvarado Ahead of 2026 NBA Trade Deadline
The New York Knicks are in a position where they are looking to make the NBA Finals this season, and have finally made a trade to bolster their roster. While there has been some chatter of landing a superstar, the team decided to add a rotational piece instead. Let’s take a closer look at who the New York Knicks traded for and what it means for the team going forward.
The New York Knicks trade to acquire Jose Alvarado
ESPN’s Shams Charania is reporting that the New York Knicks and the New Orleans Pelicans have agreed to a trade. The Knicks have acquired guard Jose Alvarado in exchange for forward Dalen Terry and a pair of second-round picks. Alvarado has played in 41 games coming off the bench as he is averaging 7.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 0.9 steals with a 41.8/36.3/83.3 shooting split.
Alvarado is on a two-year, $9 million contract, with next year being a player option for $4.5 million. This allows the New York Knicks to add another player with experience to help improve the team off the bench. He is projected to be the backup point guard behind Jalen Brunson.
What does this trade mean for the Knicks in the future?
The Knicks have been looking to add to their core roster of Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. The team has been short on draft capital as they have traded away five first-round picks for Mikal Bridges and also have given away a pair of second-round picks in this deal. With the trades, the Knicks are hoping to continue their hot stretch and continue climbing the standings.
Currently, they are 33-18, which is tied with the Boston Celtics for the second seed in the Eastern Conference and only behind the Detroit Pistons by five games. This trade helps bolster the backcourt, but there are some issues as Alvarado is listed at 6-foot and only shooting 41.2 percent from the floor in his career.
It will be intriguing to see how this trade works out for the Knicks, as they continue to push their chips into the center of the table.
