Jose Alvarado faced his former team, the New Orleans Pelicans, for the first time on Tuesday night since being traded to the New York Knicks at the deadline nearly two months ago. Alvarado was a beloved member of the locker room and was a bundle of energy whenever he was on the court, and when the two teams met on Tuesday it was clear that he remains great friends with several people in the opposing locker room.
Before the Knicks' 121-116 win, Alvarado go and meet People he became friends with during his time with Pelican. The Knicks guard hugged the Pelicans' commentary duo of Joel Meyers and Antonio Daniels, exchanged some encouraging words with Dejounte Murray, and flirted with Trey Murphy III, as caught on camera via the Pelicans Film Room on X (formerly Twitter).
Jose Alvarado hugging his former teammates this morning pic.twitter.com/PMd9kTjviy
- Pelican Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) 24 March 2026
The Pelicans may ultimately not want to lose Alvarado, but given his plight during the 2025-26 season, they had to get whatever assets they could for someone who could leave in free agency at the end of the season.
With the Knicks, Alvarado once again gets a chance to compete in the playoffs, although Pelicans fans feel a strange tug in their hearts every time they see him traded to another team.
Jose Alvarado will play big playoff minutes for the Knicks
The Knicks have been interested in bringing in Alvarado for some time, and Miles McBride's injury has further encouraged them to acquire the beloved Pelicans guard via trade.
Alvarado has his place in the playoff rotation for being a defensive pest, and he doesn't shy away from the moment. They also have a tendency to be forceful to some extent. The Knicks will need to make open shots in the playoffs to justify giving him minutes.
