This post was originally published on this site.
The New York Knicks may have been later to the party than some of their fans wanted, but they showed up on time to the 2026 NBA trade deadline and got a deal done. Just after midnight on Thursday, news broke that the team had agreed to send Guerschon Yabusele to the Chicago Bulls in return for Dalen Terry, effectively an expiring contract at the end of the season. It’s unclear what else New York may have planned, but they don’t need to look anywhere else for their next deal. New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado is still available, and they should see if they can poach him.
Knicks’ Yabusele-Terry swap doesn’t close door on Alvarado pursuit
The Knicks and Bulls agreed to the swap of Yabusele and Terry, but nothing has been made official with the league yet. This leaves the possibility that New York could expand this trade, and include a third team.
If the Pelicans were hesitant to take back Yabusele in a potential deal for Alvarado because of his player option for next season, the Knicks solved that issue by swapping his contract out for Terry’s. New Orleans, not New York, would become the team in this situation with the ability to offer Terry a $7.7 million qualifying offer at the end of the season.
The Knicks can use another ball handler, with the 6’0″ Brooklynite in Alvarado fitting the bill. His reputation for physical and gritty play would fit well on a Knicks team that, at times throughout this season, has lacked just that.
Alvarado could help complete this Knicks roster
Deuce McBride and Landry Shamet have drawn plenty of praise from head coach Mike Brown for their aggression on defense, particularly when defending the ball in pick-and-roll scenarios. Alvarado would help New York play closer to 48 minutes of physical defense, so long as Josh Hart lives up to his challenge for himself.
The team could also pivot back to starting McBride, allowing Alvarado, Shamet, and Hart to play alongside defensive stalwart Mitchell Robinson in the team’s second unit. Either way, Alvarado might just be too good to pass up on, if the price is only one or two second-round picks.
Some sort of acknowledgement from the point guard that he plans on opting into the next year of his contract would be nice for the Knicks’ front office, but the risk could be worth taking regardless.
His lack of size is notable, and does compound the vertical challenges New York’s guards already face. But at some point, the Knicks need to decide if they value players whose value transcends best on paper more than those actually doing it on the court.