A long-awaited Knicks move finally came to fruition.
They are acquiring Jose Alvarado from the Pelicans in exchange for Dalen Terry and two second-round selections, The Post’s Stefan Bondy confirmed ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline at 3 p.m.
The Knicks picked up Terry from the Bulls late Wednesday night for Guerschon Yabusele and now sent him on for an upgrade as a backup point guard.
A native of New York City, Alvarado is a strong defender and capable ballhandler and provides necessary depth behind Jalen Brunson.
Tyler Kolek has had mixed results in that role, and Miles McBride is more of a combo guard than a true point guard. McBride’s health is also currently uncertain after missing the last five games as he undergoes tests on his left ankle.
Alvarado, 27, has built a reputation as a ruthless and tenacious defender, often picking opponents off full-court and finding ways to get under their skin. At the other end of the rankings, he is averaging 7.9 points and 3.1 assists per game.
Alvarado has a $4.5 million player option for next year. By trading away Yabusele, the Knicks opted out of his $5,775,000 player option for next year. And then found a player who should have a much bigger impact.
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