Jose

Alvarado

Alvarado will miss a fourth straight game with this ankle injury. Tyler Kolek and Miles McBride will continue to fill out the backup point guard minutes, with Kolek having been more effective as of late. Unless you’re desperate for dimes from Kolek, it’s best to look elsewhere for production.

This will be a third straight absence for Alvarado. Miles McBride and Tyler Kolek should continue to split the backup point guard minutes, which hasn’t been enough time for either to make a significant impact in the box score.

Alvarado will miss a second straight game, which means the backup point guard minutes will go to Miles McBride and Tyler Kolek. McBride played 13 minutes in Sunday’s loss and wasn’t able to provide much value, while Kolek dished out nine assists in 15 minutes. Kolek should be the better streaming option, though only for managers in deep leagues who are desperate for some dimes.

Alvarado’s absence won’t affect fantasy basketball, but it will affect the back end of the Knicks’ rotation. Tyler Kolek may get rotation minutes after being a DNP-CD in the Knicks’ losses to the 76ers and Celtics.

Alvarado, who played 11 minutes in Friday’s loss to the Celtics, is dealing with a sprained left ankle. If he can’t play, his absence would hurt the Knicks’ rotation more than fantasy basketball. Tyler Kolek could slide into the back end of the rotation, but he’s unlikely to get the minutes needed to merit being streamed in fantasy leagues.

Alvarado pushed back the deadline to make a decision on his player option to Friday, giving him and the Knicks time to make a deal. Had he opted into the final season of his contract, the point guard would have received $4.5 million. Alvarado’s agreement to the new deal gives the front office a little more room to fill out the Knicks’ roster, especially if it’s backloaded. Given his role as Jalen Brunson’s backup, “Grand Theft Alvarado” is more important to the Knicks than to fantasy managers.

Alvarado initially had to decide by June 22 whether to pick up his option for the 2026-27 season, worth $4.5 million. His willingness to push the deadline back by a few days gives the backup point guard and the Knicks a little more time to work out the financials. The Brooklyn native wasn’t always in the rotation during the postseason, but his play in Game 4 of the NBA Finals was a big reason why the Knicks won their first title since 1973. With six players, most notably Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet, set to hit free agency, New York’s front office will have its work cut out keeping the roster intact.

Having fallen out of the Knicks’ rotation recently, Alvarado started Sunday’s regular-season finale and logged 34 minutes. Acquired from the Pelicans at a time when the Knicks were shorthanded on the perimeter, his opportunities may be limited during the playoffs. That said, Alvarado does not need much time to be a nuisance on the defensive end of the floor, so there may still be a role for him in the Knicks’ first-round series against the Hawks.

While Brunson will miss Sunday’s game due to injury management, Kolek will miss a fourth straight with a strained oblique. Jose Alvarado should play plenty, and Sunday’s game may be one where the Knicks look to get Miles McBride going, as he’s struggled since returning from sports hernia surgery.

Brunson and the Knicks took care of business on Friday, securing the No. 3 seed in the East with their win and Cleveland’s loss to Atlanta. As a result, fantasy managers in active leagues should plan for the possibility of Brunson not playing in Sunday’s game against the Hornets. If he sits, Jose Alvarado (12/5/2 with one three-pointer) would move into the starting lineup.