Leon Rose and the New York Knicks continue to be among the best in the business at improving the team’s roster around the margins.
After sending Guerschon Yabusele to the Chicago Bulls for Dalen Terry late on Wednesday night, they’ve rerouted Terry and second-round picks to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Jose Alvarado.
ESPN’s Shams Charania was first reports of the trade.
The five-year veteran is a Brooklyn native who made a name for himself at Christ the King High School before playing at Georgia Tech and going undrafted in 2021.
So it’s a homecoming for Alvarado, who’s averaging 7.9 points and 3.1 assists in 41 appearances with New Orleans this season.
Expect to see a lot of — if not most of — his time spent backing up Jalen Brunson at point guard. New York will be better for it.
Because while the Knicks are outscoring opponents by 3.3 points per 100 possessions with Brunson off the floor — according to Cleaning the Glass — it’s not because they’re posting record-setting numbers on offense.
No, it’s the defensive end where New York is staving off the opposition while the captain sits. They’re holding opponents to 109 points per in non-Brunson lineups, which ranks in the 90th percentile.
The offense falls from scoring 124.8 per 100 possessions to 112.3, which is from the 97th to 27th percentile, respectively. Turnover percentage also jumps from 13.0% to 15.3%, which again is a drop from the 86th to the 29th percentile.
Alvarado, after a career year last season, has seen a slight dip as the Pelicans tread water in NBA purgatory with the league’s third-worst record. Still, he should be a calming presence for an often distressed offense when Brunson sits.
As the league resumes it’s regularly-scheduled programming following the trade deadline, New York will look to extend their win streak to nine games on the road in Detroit on Friday night. Tip-off vs. the Pistons is scheduled for 7:30 pm EST.
