The New Orleans Pelicans entered this offseason with a huge hole to fill at point guard. With Dejounte Murray set to miss the start of the 2025-26 season because of an Achilles injury, New Orleans was put in a tough spot at point guard, but Joe Dumars responded well.
He went out and traded for Jordan Poole and then followed that up by selecting Jeremiah Fears at No. 7. These moves, however, make the Pelicans' next move extremely obvious: they should trade Jose Alvarado.
Alvarado is coming off a career year, posting averages of 10.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. The issue with Jose isn't him; it's the fact that New Orleans no longer has the minutes he deserves, considering the season he had. Jordan Poole will be getting starting point guard minutes, and Fears will likely be getting tons of minutes off the bench to help his development.
With Alvarado only being 6'0", the lineup combination with both Poole and Fears would struggle defensively, making another case for New Orleans to move. Jake Fischer also reported the Pelicans are among eight teams monitoring Malcolm Brogdon and have interest in signing him. The idea of Joe Dumars looking to sign Brogdon adds to the case of the Pelicans moving on from Alvarado.
This is the right time to make this move
With Alvarado posting career highs across the board, his value is at an all-time high. On top of that, after seeing the impact T.J. McConnell had during the Indiana Pacers' magical NBA finals run, other front offices could view Alvarado as their version of McConnell.
Both guards have similar skill sets, as gritty defensive guards who create turnovers and convert them into points on the other end. Alvarado also shares McConnell's ability to come in and get hot in an instant. The idea of Alvarado, at 27, coming off a career year and having the skill set that fits the ideal model for a backup point guard, could make his trade value extremely high.
The Pelicans moving on from a positive asset like Alvarado could get them a nice return. New Orleans is in dire need of some depth at their forward spots, and trading Alvarado could either open up the money to add a player to fill that spot or bring in a player to fill that need.
As much as Alvarado has been a fan favorite and a staple in the New Orleans community since arriving. If Pelicans fans wanna see him be successful, it's time for him to get a new start elsewhere.