Former New Oreleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado during an NBA game.
Jose Alvarado is expected to make his New York Knicks debut Sunday against the Boston Celtics, with Newsday’s Steve Popper reporting the newly acquired guard is “a go.” The timing matters: New York’s backcourt is banged up, and Alvarado isn’t on the injury report heading into the matchup.
Steve Popper
Jose Alvarado is a go today.
Jose Alvarado’s Knicks debut is here and the timing is the point
The Knicks didn’t trade for Alvarado to stash him. They needed playable guard depth immediately, and Sunday’s matinee at TD Garden sets up a “next man up” moment for a player whose calling card is pressure defense and tempo.
Popper’s update lines up with the pregame paperwork: Alvarado is clear to play, and multiple previews have already framed Sunday as his first game in a Knicks uniform. With Miles “Deuce” McBride sidelined after core muscle surgery, New York’s guard rotation has been in flux, and the deadline move reads like a direct response.
Alvarado comes to New York with steady production in a bench role this season in New Orleans, averaging 7.9 points, 3.1 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 21.9 minutes per game across 41 games. Over his NBA career (all with the Pelicans prior to the trade), Alvarado has averaged 8.1 points, 3.1 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 268 games, while also providing disruptive point-of-attack pressure (he’s at 1.2 steals per game for his career).
What the Knicks gave up to land him (and why the details matter)
New York’s acquisition wasn’t just a “player for player” swap. According to reporting aggregated by Hoops Rumors, the Knicks sent Dalen Terry plus two second-round picks (2026 and 2027) and cash to the New Orleans Pelicans for Alvarado. The deal also included the draft rights to Latavious Williams, per Hoops Rumors’ summary of Popper’s reporting.
That’s the first value add: it’s a real cost (multiple seconds) for a role player, which tells you the Knicks expect him to play in the stretch run, not just “provide depth.”
Second value add: the contract. Alvarado’s deal includes a player option for next season (reported at $4.5M), which matters for roster planning and whether the Knicks treat this as a rental or a longer-term bench piece.
Where Alvarado fits right away in Mike Brown’s rotation
The simplest version: defense, ball pressure, and survivable minutes when Jalen Brunson sits, especially if the Knicks remain shorthanded on the wing and need guards who can make life miserable at the point of attack.
There’s also a practical domino effect. A New York Post report noted Jordan Clarkson’s role has already been inconsistent, with minutes squeezed by a crowded guard group and now the addition of Alvarado. If Alvarado is active and ready, it adds another option for Mike Brown to stabilize second-unit possessions, and potentially change which bench guards are closing tight games.
Yahoo also highlighted the obvious: if New York is still missing bodies, Alvarado could be in line for a larger-than-usual debut role immediately.
What happens next (and what to watch Sunday)
If Alvarado plays, watch three things:
Who he checks first (Brunson support vs. matchup assignment).
Whether he shares the floor with Brunson (two-guard pressure lineups).
How quickly Brown trusts him in “must-get-a-stop” possessions.
Sunday’s Celtics game is also a standings-weight matchup, with Boston and New York separated by a narrow margin in the East in previews. That’s why this debut matters today, it’s not garbage-time integration; it’s a stress test. And Knicks fans are especially eager to see the energy and chaos of the Alvarado experience.