Jose Alvarado Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Injury Notes: Brown, Mitchell, Payton, Anunoby, Alvarado

November 19th, 2023 at 9:55am CST by Luke Adams

Celtics wing Jaylen Brown is considered questionable to suit up on Sunday in Memphis due to a right adductor strain, according to the NBA’s official injury report. The injury occurred during Friday’s in-season tournament game in Toronto, and Brown indicated after Boston’s win that a slippery floor was to blame.

“The court was just slippery all game,” Brown said (Twitter link via Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe). “I think as players we’re all here for the in-season tournament because it’s going to generate revenue, excitement, competition, but we’ve got to make sure the floor is safe to play on. We can’t put our players out there and risk their health. Tonight I thought the floor was unacceptable. I think guys were slipping all over the place, not just me.”

As Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca relays (via Twitter), Raptors forward Precious Achiuwa seconded Brown’s complaint about the court, which was being used for the first time: “It was slippery, I fell a couple of times myself. The extra stuff is extra. I’m just trying to play basketball, at the same time, not trying to get hurt.”

Here are a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA:

Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell will miss a second consecutive game on Sunday, having been ruled out vs. Denver due to a right hamstring strain, tweets Tom Withers of The Associated Press.
The Warriors provided a formal update on Gary Payton II on Saturday, announcing (via Twitter) that an MRI on his injured left foot didn’t show any structural damage and confirmed that he has a muscle strain in the foot. Payton, who missed Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma City, will be reevaluated again this weekend.
OG Anunoby has missed the Raptors‘ past three games due to a laceration on his finger, but he’s listed as probable to return for Sunday’s game vs. Detroit, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link).
Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado, who was upgraded to questionable for Saturday’s game, ended up sitting it out, further delaying his season debut. However, it sounds like that debut will occur soon. Head coach Willie Green said on Saturday that Alvarado has been playing 5-on-5 and is getting very close, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic.

Injury Notes: Alvarado, Lyles, Mitchell, Beal, Hornets

November 18th, 2023 at 1:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado is getting “really close” to making his season debut, head coach Willie Green said on Friday, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com (Twitter link). Alvarado, who has been sidelined for the first few weeks of the season due to a right ankle sprain, missed Friday’s in-season tournament game against Denver but has been upgraded to questionable for Saturday’s contest vs. Minnesota, per the team (Twitter link).

While Alvarado has a chance to return on Saturday, forward Zion Williamson will be getting the night off on the second night of a back-to-back set, according to the Pelicans. Williamson’s designation is “rest,” so it sounds like there’s no new injury there — it’s just a matter of the team being cautious.

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

Kings forward Trey Lyles tells Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee that he expects to make his season debut at some point during the team’s current road trip, which continues on Sunday in Dallas and wraps up next Friday in Minnesota. Lyles has been unavailable so far this fall due to a calf injury, but has progressed to 3-on-3 work and says he feels “great,” adding that he’s mostly focused now on improving his conditioning.
While it doesn’t appear to be a cause for any significant concern at this point, Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell missed a second game on Friday due to a right hamstring issue. Mitchell also sat out on October 28 due to right hamstring soreness, notes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
Suns guard Bradley Beal was listed as probable to play on Wednesday before being downgraded to out and then ruled out for at least three weeks due to a low back strain. Head coach Frank Vogel explained on Friday that Beal turned out not to be back to 100% when he made his season debut and playing in games was impeding his recovery process. “We want to put this thing behind him,” Vogel said, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). “Playing in the games was slowing down his progress for really trying to put this behind him. We don’t want to do the ‘play a game, be out a game, play a game, be out a game.'”
The Hornets continue to be beset by injuries, as big man Nick Richards left Friday’s game due to concussion-like symptoms and has now been placed in the concussion protocol and ruled out for Saturday’s contest, per the team (Twitter link). In other Hornets injury news, Terry Rozier, who is sidelined due to a left groin issue, has yet to resume practicing, notes Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).

Injury Notes: McCollum, Alvarado, Mann, Vassell

November 8th, 2023 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans guard CJ McCollum, who was diagnosed over the weekend with a small pneumothorax in his right lung was reexamined on Tuesday and medical imaging showed positive healing, the team announced today in a press release.

However, the Pelicans still aren’t prepared to provide any sort of projected recovery timeline for McCollum, simply stating that he’ll be reevaluated at “a later date” and that further updates will be announced once they’re available.

Like McCollum, Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado remains sidelined for the foreseeable future, though there’s a more concrete timetable in place for Alvarado, who is recovering from a right ankle sprain. According to the club, he’s making “good progress” and has resumed on-court work. The expectation is that Alvarado will return to full practices within the next week or two.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Neither Pelicans forward Zion Williamson nor Warriors forward/center Draymond Green are injured, but both players have been ruled out for their games on Wednesday for personal reasons, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com and Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). It’s worth noting that Golden State’s game vs. Denver is a nationally televised contest and Green is one of the players affected by the NBA’s player participation policy, but absences for personal reasons are permitted under that policy.
After incorporating P.J. Tucker and James Harden within the last week, the Clippers are expected to get more reinforcements on Wednesday in Brooklyn. Terance Mann (ankle) is on track to make his season debut and will be on a minutes restriction, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Spurs swingman Devin Vassell (left adductor strain) is listed as doubtful for Wednesday’s contest vs. the Knicks, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN. While Vassell likely won’t return tonight, he seems to be making good progress, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link), who says the 23-year-old participated in today’s shootaround, as well as a post-practice four-on-four session.

Injury Updates: Alvarado, Booker, Beal, Mann, J. Allen

October 24th, 2023 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado suffered a setback in his rehab program following an offseason ankle sprain, the team announced in a press release on Tuesday.

According to the Pelicans, Alvarado – who was hoping to be back for the start of the regular season – felt discomfort in his injured right ankle and was reassessed on Monday. The plan is for him to continue his rehab and to be reevaluated again in two weeks, per the club.

Finding ways to keep their players healthy was reportedly something the Pelicans focused on this offseason, but the team is already banged up before the regular season tips off. In addition to missing Alvarado, New Orleans will be without Naji Marshall and Trey Murphy when the season gets underway in Memphis on Wednesday.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Ahead of the Suns‘ regular season opener on Tuesday night in Golden State, Devin Booker (left big toe soreness) tells Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link) that he’ll play after initially being listed as questionable. However, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), Bradley Beal (lower back tightness) is unlikely to be available as Phoenix plays it safe with its major offseason addition.
Terance Mann earned a spot in the Clippers‘ starting lineup with a strong camp and preseason, but he won’t be available when the team opens its season on Wednesday vs. Portland, having sprained his left ankle in Monday’s practice (Twitter link via Mark Medina of Sportskeeda). Mann is considered day-to-day, per head coach Tyronn Lue, who didn’t reveal who will start in his place (Twitter link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN).
Jarrett Allen‘s status for the Cavaliers‘ regular season opener on Wednesday in Brooklyn remains up in the air. According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said that on Monday that Allen didn’t practice and that he’ll need to go through at least one full practice before playing a game. Asked on Tuesday if Allen practiced today, Bickerstaff replied, “I don’t know. Good question” (Twitter link via Fedor).

Southwest Notes: Doncic, Hardy, Alvarado, Zion, VanVleet, Green, Rockets

October 23rd, 2023 at 8:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Good news for the Mavericks — Luka Doncic and Jaden Hardy practiced in full on Monday, according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.

The team will reevaluate Doncic, who has been dealing with a calf strain, after Tuesday’s practice before a decision on whether he’s good to go for the season opener against San Antonio. Hardy has been dealing with an ankle injury.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

It’s not looking like Jose Alvarado will be ready for the Pelicans’ opener. The spark-plug guard was unable to practice on Monday, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune tweets. Alvarado has been dealing with a right ankle sprain suffered during an offseason workout.
The Pelicans explored trading Zion Williamson over the summer, multiple executives told Clark, but there was never any serious traction on a deal. A better outcome would be for Williamson to stay healthy and fulfill his promise. Williamson is hopeful changes to the performance staff will help him reach that goal. “The Pelicans have put in a lot of things this offseason to not only prevent things like that, but to react to it in the best way possible,” Williamson said. “I think what the Pelicans have done, there is good structure.”
The Rockets made a huge investment in Fred VanVleet and their new point guard believes they signed him at just the right time, he told James Herbert of CBS Sports. “It’s the perfect time for me to be here in this situation after the last three years that this organization has had,” he said. “Hiring Ime (Udoka) here, bringing a couple more vets with the young guys that they have, I think it’s just a perfect fit and it’s perfect timing.”
Josh Green‘s salary structure in his rookie scale extension begins with a $12,654,321 salary next season, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. He’ll make $13,666,667 the following season and $14,679,012 in 2026/27.
In a subscriber-only story, the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen discusses how the Rockets’ young core realizes that it’s time for them to start posting wins.

Southwest Notes: Morant, Spurs, Sochan, Pelicans, J. Green

October 20th, 2023 at 7:39am CST by Luke Adams

Baxter Holmes and Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com published a lengthy investigative story this week detailing the transformation of Grizzlies guard Ja Morant from a Murray State prospect with “zero” red flags into a player whose worrisome off-court behavior led to multiple sit-downs with the team’s brass and – eventually – to suspensions of eight and 25 games.

While ESPN’s report includes several new details and quotes and is worth checking out in full, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins rejected the idea that it created an “elephant in the room” for his club, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. According to Cole, shortly after ESPN’s article was published, Jenkins met with the team — and separately with Morant.

“I read the article, and I’m not going to comment on anonymous sources,” Jenkins said. “I’m not really going to comment on the past. I’m really just focused on the present right now — the strides he is making, positive strides, and the strides that the team is making. … I want him to know he’s got 100% support from us and his teammates.”

Morant’s teammates were equally dismissive of the ESPN report and expressed their support for the point guard, who will serve his 25-game suspension to begin the 2023/24 season. Big man Xavier Tillman called it “annoying” to have to relitigate Morant’s past behavior, while Desmond Bane said the rest of the team has “got his back.”

“People are bringing up anything they can just for people to have anything to read,” Bane said. “We ain’t worried about that. We with 12.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

The Spurs‘ starting five for the regular season will consist of Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Victor Wembanyama, and Zach Collins, head coach Gregg Popovich revealed this week (story via Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News). The 6’9″ Sochan will serve as the de facto point guard in the super-sized lineup, though he expects to share the ball-handling duties. “It doesn’t mean I have to control (the offense) or be the main ball-handler,” Sochan said. “Whoever gets the ball can push it and play with a flow instead of playing slow.”
Pelicans big men Larry Nance Jr. (ankle) and Cody Zeller (back) took part in contact drills in practice on Thursday, while guard Jose Alvarado (ankle) was a limited participant, tweets Christian Clark of NOLA.com. New Orleans will be without Naji Marshall and Trey Murphy when the season gets underway, so having Nance, Zeller, and Alvarado available would help bolster the club’s depth.
Rockets guard and former No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green sat down with Shams Charania of Stadium (Twitter video link) to discuss what he worked on during the offseason, his thoughts on the addition of free agent point guard Fred VanVleet, and his impressions of several of his new teammates, among other topics.
Mavericks wing Josh Green, who injured his back earlier this week, was a full participant in practice on Thursday and doesn’t sound concerned about his availability when the regular season begins next week, as Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News relays (via Twitter).

Southwest Notes: Smart, Jones, Alvarado, Hardy, Green

October 17th, 2023 at 6:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Marcus Smart will make his preseason Grizzlies debut on Friday, according to Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Smart, acquired from Boston this offseason, will go right into the starting lineup, coach Taylor Jenkins told Cole. Smart has been battling abdominal soreness.

“I’ve been doing this going on 10 years now, so for me, I know what it takes to get myself going and how long it takes,” the Grizzlies veteran guard said. “I’ll be ready.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Tre Jones signed a two-year, $19MM contract this offseason to remain with the Spurs. However, it’s uncertain if he’ll remain a starter. He told Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News he’s fine either way. “No matter if I’m starting or coming off the bench, it will always be the same,” Jones said. “I’ve got to be a leader for us. I’ve got to continue to set my teammates up as many ways as possible, be an extension of coach on the court, be aggressive on the defensive end and try to help us win any way possible.”
The Pelicans have played poorly this preseason but they should toughen up when backup point guard Jose Alvarado returns. Alvarado has been sidelined by an ankle sprain but there’s optimism he’ll be back for the regular season opener next week. “He’s a big piece for our team, especially on the defensive side of the basketball,” forward Brandon Ingram told Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “He brings us energy. He’ll be good for our second group, just trying to run our second group.”
The Mavericks are dealing with a few minor injuries, Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com tweets. Jaden Hardy is getting treatment on a sprained ankle, while Josh Green suffered a back injury on Monday and sat out Tuesday’s practice.

Pelicans Notes: Alvarado, Nance, Zion, Big Three

September 29th, 2023 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado and forward/center Larry Nance Jr. won’t be able to participate in training camp next week, the team announced in a press release on Thursday.

According to the team, Alvarado is expected to resume basketball activities in approximately two or three weeks after spraining his right ankle during an offseason workout. Alvarado’s ankle injury was reported earlier this month.

As for Nance, he received a biologic injection to stimulate the healing process in his left ankle, according to the Pelicans. Nance, who missed the final game of New Orleans’ 2022/23 season (a play-in loss to the Thunder), is expected to make a full recovery before the ’23/24 season begins, per the team, and should also return to basketball activities in two or three weeks.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

Andrew Lopez of ESPN.com explores what the Pelicans should expect from Zion Williamson in 2023/24, citing multiple sources who say the former No. 1 overall pick was playing pickup games with teammates earlier this month and that he has been working with trainers this summer to get his lower body ready for the 82-game season.
Lopez also writes that some people around the Pelicans organization are hoping that the embarrassment from being at the center of some off-court drama this summer will provide extra motivation for Williamson to have a big year on the court.
Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum have only been on the court for 172 minutes together as Pelicans. William Guillory of The Athletic considers what the club should expect from its big three, assuming they stay healthy.
The odds of Giannis Antetokounmpo remaining with the Bucks beyond his current contract look better following the club’s trade for Damian Lillard. However, if things go south in Milwaukee, the Pelicans stand to benefit, notes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. As a result of 2020’s Jrue Holiday trade, the Bucks still owe the Pelicans first-round pick swaps in 2024 and 2026, along with an unprotected first-rounder in 2027. New Orleans would also get Milwaukee’s 2025 first-rounder if it lands in the top four, which is a long shot.

Jose Alvarado Has Ankle Sprain, Could Miss Camp Time

September 17th, 2023 at 7:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado suffered a ankle sprain during a workout this weekend and his availability for training camp is in doubt, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Alvarado is entering his third season in the league. He’s one of the key backcourt reserves for New Orleans, which is looking to bounce back from an injury-marred season.

Alvarado suffered a stress reaction in his right tibia in February and he was still feeling discomfort earlier this summer. His minimum-salary contract for 2023/24 is fully non-guaranteed, though it’s unlikely his roster spot is in danger.

Listed at 6’0″, Alvarado appeared in 61 games last season, including 10 starts. He averaged 9.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 21.5 minutes per game. He saw action in 54 regular season games as a rookie after going undrafted out of Georgia Tech.

Alvarado isn’t a serious three-point threat (32.2%) but he’s a pesky defender and a solid floor leader. He’s only committed an average of 1.1 turnovers in 18.6 minutes during his two seasons.

Training camps will open in a little more than two weeks.

Pelicans Notes: Williamson, Ingram, Alvarado, Lewis

July 27th, 2023 at 11:03pm CST by Rory Maher

William Guillory and John Hollinger of The Athletic take stock of where things stand for the Pelicans entering 2023/24, with both writers noting that it will be a critical season for the organization.

New Orleans doesn’t have much choice but to see whether or not a core of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram can be successful together, according to Hollinger, despite the duo only playing 12 games together over the past two seasons. However, he would seriously consider trading one of them next summer if the team has another disappointing season.

As Guillory points out, the Pelicans will be facing salary cap difficulties in both the short and long term, so the pressure entering ’23/24 will be much higher than in previous years. Finding a replacement at center for Jonas Valanciunas, who is entering the final year of his contract, should be a priority going forward if the team doesn’t plan to retain him, according to both authors.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

Technology company Ankr PBC has filed a civil lawsuit against Williamson, his stepfather and his mother, writes Brett Martel of The Associated Press. The lawsuit alleges Williamson and his family failed to pay back $1.8MM of a $2MM loan. Ankr had hoped Williamson would be a spokesperson for the company, with his stepfather, Lee Anderson, serving as his representative during negotiations, per Martel. Anderson is the person who requested the loan a couple years ago, the lawsuit states.
Jose Alvarado is still recovering from the stress reaction in his right tibia, which he sustained in February, and the injury will prevent him from representing Puerto Rico during the upcoming World Cup, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN. Pelicans sources tell Lopez that the move is precautionary, but it certainly seems somewhat problematic that a recent MRI indicated Alvarado’s tibia isn’t fully healed after five months. The point guard’s minimum-salary contract for 2023/24 is fully non-guaranteed, as we noted earlier today. That’s not to say he’s in any danger of being released — prior to going down with the leg injury, he was a regular part of the Pelicans’ rotation, averaging 9.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 21.5 minutes per night (61 games).
Former lottery pick Kira Lewis remains a trade candidate worth monitoring, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who notes that dumping Lewis’ salary would take New Orleans out of luxury tax territory. The 22-year-old returned from a torn ACL last season, averaging 4.6 points and 1.3 rebounds in limited action (9.4 minutes per night in 25 games).