Jose Alvarado (basketball)

Jose Alvarado (born April 12, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously played for the New Orleans Pelicans and played college basketball for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Since 2022, he has represented Puerto Rico in international competitions. Alvarado is nicknamed "Grand Theft Alvarado" because of his exceptional ability to generate steals.

Alvarado played football in his childhood but quit after injuring his neck. He played basketball for Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village, Queens, in New York City. As a junior, Alvarado averaged 17 points and 6.5 assists per game and was named Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) Player of the Year. As a senior, he recorded 18 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals, the first quadruple-double in school history, in a December 22, 2016, win over Xaverian High School. In his senior season, Alvarado averaged 17.9 points per game and led Christ the King to the CHSAA intersectional quarterfinals. He was named TimesLedger Player of the Year.

Alvarado was considered a four-star recruit by ESPN and Rivals and a three-star recruit by 247Sports in the 2017 class. On September 15, 2016, he committed to play college basketball for Georgia Tech over offers from Rutgers and Seton Hall, among others. Georgia Tech head coach Josh Pastner had first seen Alvarado at the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League.

"2017 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Recruiting Class". ESPN.

"2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. | | | | | |

As a freshman, Alvarado started in all 25 of his games and averaged 12.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He became the fourth Georgia Tech freshman to average at least 12 points, 3.5 rebounds, and two assists per game. He suffered a season-ending left elbow fracture against Duke on February 11, 2018. Alvarado had an increased role in his sophomore season with the early departure of Josh Okogie. On February 20, 2019, Alvarado scored a career-high 29 points to go with 6 rebounds and 5 assists in a 73–65 win over Pittsburgh. As a sophomore, Alvarado averaged 12.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, leading his team in scoring, assists and steals. Georgia Tech was banned from the postseason by the NCAA during his junior season due to several infractions. He missed seven games early in his junior season due to an ankle injury. On January 25, 2020, Alvarado scored a season-high 26 points and recorded 8 rebounds and a school-record nine steals in a 64–58 victory over NC State. In his junior season, he averaged 14.4 points, four assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game and was named to the Third Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). In his senior year, Alvarado and Moses Wright led Georgia Tech to its first ACC title since 1993, by defeating Scottie Barnes and Florida State in the championship game of the ACC tournament. At the end of the season, he was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

Alvarado passed on gaining an additional year in college due to COVID-19 game cancellations and declared himself eligible for the 2021 NBA draft. After being undrafted, on August 19, 2021, he signed a two-way contract with the New Orleans Pelicans. Under the terms of the deal, he split time with the Pelicans and their NBA G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron. During a game against the Philadelphia 76ers on January 25, 2022, Alvarado was issued a technical foul after an in-game verbal altercation with Philadelphia center Joel Embiid. The incident received press coverage after Embiid praised Alvarado and paid the $2,000 league fine associated with it. On March 28, Alvarado's two-way deal was converted into a standard four-year, $6.5 million contract. This signing made him eligible for post-season play.

In 2022, Alvarado gained social media traction for highlight clips of him creating steals by sneaking up behind the opposing team's ball handler, which also led to his nickname "Grand Theft Alvarado".

On December 4, 2022, Alvarado scored a career-high 38 points in a 121–106 win over the Denver Nuggets. On February 17, 2023, he won the Rising Stars Challenge MVP award after hitting the game-winning shot. On February 28, the Pelicans announced that Alvarado had suffered a stress reaction in his right tibia and would be re-evaluated in three weeks. On March 22, the Pelicans announced that Alvarado would be sidelined for at least another two-to-three weeks, ending his season.

Alvarado made 56 appearances off of the bench for New Orleans during the 2023–24 NBA season, posting averages of 7.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals. On September 28, 2024, Alvarado signed a two-year, $9 million contract extension with New Orleans. He played in 56 games (including 23 starts) for the Pelicans during the 2024–25 season, averaging career-highs in points (10.3), rebounds (2.4), assists (4.6), and steals (1.3).

Alvarado played in 41 games for the Pelicans during the 2025–26 season, averaging 7.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.

On February 5, 2026, Alvarado was traded to the New York Knicks in exchange for Dalen Terry and two future second round draft picks. As a native New Yorker returning home, Alvarado immediately endeared himself to Knicks fans through his energy, hustle, and active defense. Within a week, at a February 11 away game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Alvarado became the first player in Knicks franchise history to record 25+ points, 5+ steals, and 5+ three-pointers in a game off the bench. Alvarado scored 26 points and made 8 of his 13 three-point attempts, leading to a 138-89 victory for the Knicks over the 76ers.

Although a native of Brooklyn, Alvarado represents Puerto Rico at the international level due to his Puerto Rican ancestry. Alvarado was recruited in 2022 by Carlos Arroyo, retired team captain and current general manager. He was part of the team that helped Puerto Rico qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics after defeating both Mexico in the semifinals and Lithuania in the final of one of four 2024 FIBA Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments. He was named MVP of the tournament after he averaged 16.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.3 steals, and had a 29-point performance against Italy and 23 points against Lithuania.

Alvarado plays mainly as a shooting guard for the national team.

Alvarado is of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent. He and his girlfriend have a daughter who was born in 2020.

• List of All-Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball teams

• Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets bio

• Jose Alvarado at FIBA.basketball

• Jose Alvarado at NBA

• Jose Alvarado at Eurobasket.com

• Jose Alvarado at ESPN.com

• Jose Alvarado at RealGM

• Jose Alvarado at Proballers

• Jose Alvarado – Basketball-Reference.com NBA player profile

• Jose Alvarado – Basketball-Reference.com NBA G League player profile

• Jose Alvarado – Basketball-Reference.com international player profile

• Jose Alvarado – Sports-Reference.com college basketball player profile