The New York Knicks were at one point the rumored favorite to land Giannis Antetokounmpo if he were to leave the Milwaukee Bucks. A move that would've changed up the entire layout of the roster, it was one that some fans believed would help them get over the hump in the Eastern Conference.

However, the Knicks faded away from those rumors, and Giannis never ended up being moved before the deadline. The Knicks still made a move, though, a smaller one, acquiring New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado, returning him to the city he grew up in.

After four and a half years with the Pelicans, where Alvarado averaged 8.1 points, 3.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game across 268 appearances, he'll get a chance to play the most competitive basketball of his career on a Knicks team looking to make it to the NBA Finals.

Following the trade, head coach Mike Brown shared his thoughts on the acquisition.

“He just brings a level of toughness to the team, his energy is unmatched,” Brown said, according to the NY Post. “What he can do defensively in the full court and even in the frontcourt on the ball, especially on pick-and-rolls and stuff like that, is at a pretty high level."

Alvarado has always been known as a "scrapy" defender, making up for his size at 6-feet and 179 lbs. He has improved as a jump shooter in his career, but brings his most value when he's causing havoc on the defensive end.

“He shoots it better than most people think. We want to play fast, and we believe he’s a guy who will come in and push the pace. Get us into our offense and all that other stuff. Because he is quick, he’s got a low center of gravity...So, excited to have him," Brown added.

Alvarado has come off the bench for the majority of his career and will continue to do so in New York, unless an injury occurs. He joins a talented guard rotation featuring Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride, Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson, and Tyler Kolek.

Even though Kolek ranks fourth on the team in assists, he'll likely be the odd man out with Alvarado being added.

However, this could all just be a short-term move, with Alvarado having a $4.5 million player option for the 2026-27 season, which he could decline and move on if the Knicks don't have enough minutes to go around for him.

When Alvarado is on the court, it will be interesting to see if Brown tries out a heavy defensive personnel with Alvarado out there with Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Mitchell Robinson.