The Jose Alvarado File
Team: New Orleans Pelicans
Height: 6-0
Weight: 179
Age: 24
Birthday: 4/12/1998
College: Georgia Tech
Draft: Undrafted
Contract: Signed a 4-year, $6.88 million contract in 2022
Grand Theft Alvarado
Sporting one of the best nicknames in the NBA currently, Jose "Grand Theft Alvarado" Alvarado is making plenty of fans everywhere he goes. Previously an unknown undrafted free agent, Alvarado made a name for himself especially in the 2022 NBA Playoffs, with his ability for coming up with sneaky steals.
In what makes for great YouTube content, spend some time watching those Alvarado moments. Shorter in size, he's like a gnat that you cannot escape. Whether it's hiding in the corner on inbounds passes, stealing the ball from behind, or just taking advantage of someone's lackadaisical play, the Pelicans' guard is a great weapon to have on defense. It's impressive for a guy that was shuffled back and forth between the NBA and G-League to have such an impact, especially on a playoff team.
None of this is new though for the Queens, New York native. He recorded the first quadruple-double in the history of his high school, King Regional in Queens, with 18 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 steals. Alvarado was later awarded ACC Defensive Player of the Year during his senior year at Georgia Tech.