Most NBA players grow up dreaming of playing for their hometown team, but few get to live it. Jose Alvarado is doing just that. Born and raised in New York City, Alvarado joined the Knicks as part of a trade before the deadline. And for the first time in his career, the man is with a legit contender.
Alvarado is one of the best undrafted players in the league. He declared for the 2021 NBA Draft but wasn't selected. The New Orleans Pelicans signed him that offseason to a two-way contract that saw him spending time in both the NBA and with the Pelicans' G League affiliate.
His breakthrough moment happened in his rookie season when he got in Joel Embiid's face. Alvarado picked up a technical foul while Embiid paid his fine. He was impressed by Alvarado's tenacity in standing his ground against a player twice his size. The whole thing went viral.
Since then, Alvarado has built a reputation for picking up a lot of steals, so much so that he's earned the nickname "Grand Theft Alvarado. "It's not just because of the volume of turnovers he creates, either. He's inventive in how he pulls them off. Unfortunately, his efforts were wasted in New Orleans.
Jose Alvarado's Knicks homecoming has been great both sides
It's no secret that the Pelicans are in terrible shape. They've lost a lot of great players over the years, and Zion Williamson is all but a bust at this point. New Orleans is bad enough that they should get a decent first-round pick this year, but it's unlikely they'll do much with it.
Getting traded to the Knicks will be the best thing for Alvarado and his career. not to mention a huge improvement to New York's depth. He's now on a legit contender, bringing some serious defensive fire to the team as well as being a great backup point guard for Jalen Brunson.
More than that, Alvarado gets to play for his favorite team. He was an avid New York Knicks fan when growing up in Brooklyn. Seeing his family at games and how quickly Knicks fans have embraced him has been incredible. It's not an opportunity every athlete gets, so this is a big opportunity for him.
Jose Alvarado has long had the potential to be a key rotational player on a big roster. He played well for the Pelicans, but it was hard to see him getting any further with that team. Going home will be huge for his career, particularly if he helps the Knicks make the NBA Finals.