The 2024-25 season isn't one that many Pelicans fans want to remember, as New Orleans dealt with a significant number of injuries and off-court problems. This resulted in a 21-61 record, which was bad enough for the second-worst record in the entire league.
One of the few bright spots last season was Jose Alvarado, who posted career highs across the board. The gritty guard averaged 10.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game last season in the Big Easy. On top of having an excellent season for the Pelicans, Alvarado is also part of one of the NBA's most exclusive clubs as one of 10 players to log a minimum of 1,000 career minutes without a career dunk.
While it may appear to be believable to most, as Alvarado is listed at 6'0 "and 179 pounds, I was shocked. I could've sworn I remembered seeing him get a rim grazer on a fast break, but I guess I was wrong.
The list featured Alvarado as the shortest player never to dunk, followed by Fred VanVleet, Trae Young, T.J. McConnell, Malachi Flynn, Patty Mills, A.J. Green, Ty Jerome, Jalen Wilson, and Caleb Houstan as the tallest player on the list at 6'8.
His first dunk likely won't be happening in New Orleans
Although the fan base and Alvarado likely both want his first career dunk to come with the Pelicans, it's highly unlikely that it will.
The 26-year-old guard has been a name mentioned in mock trades and rumors because of the overwhelming depth the Pelicans have at point guard. With Joe Dumars' decision to trade for Jordan Poole and draft Jeremiah Fears in the span of a week, it appears the Pelicans won't have room for Alvarado.
When healthy, Fears, Poole, Alvarado, and Dejounte Murray are all going to command heavy minutes. In this scenario, Alvarado is the odd man out as both Poole and Murray are superior players and viewed as key parts of the Peelicans' core. And Fears was drafted 7th overall by Dumars during the 2025 NBA draft and is viewed as the lead guard of the future.
In addition to the potential of him being traded, Alvarado also has a player option for $4.5 million that he can choose to decline or exercise in the 2026 offseason. So if he doesn't feel he is getting the minutes or role he deserves this season, he could walk for nothing if Dumars doesn't trade him.
As exciting as it would be for Alvarado to get off this list and get his first career dunk while he is still a member of the Pelicans, it likely won't happen. Given the Pelicans' point guard depth, along with the fact that he is on an expiring deal, there's a very good chance Jose Alvarado is traded at some point during this current offseason or the 2025-26 regular season.