Ben Stiller is pumped about the Knicks’ trade for Jose Alvarado.
In an X post Thursday afternoon, Stiller commented “let’s goooo” on ESPN insider Shams Charania’s initial report of the deal. In the same thread, when asked if he’d want former Knicks RJ Barrett or Immanuel Quickley back with New York, he made his stance clear.
“I will always love both those guys. RJ is my guy and I love seeing him do well. And Quick. If the time was ever right yes but right now it’s been working well for both teams,” Stiller replied.
A few minutes later, he even said “I’ll be waiting with open arms,” to NBA insider Jake Fischer’s post joking about Alvarado diving for a loose ball and sliding into Stiller sitting courtside.
Stiller has been posting about the Knicks on X since 2020, and his posts almost entirely surround the team. His profile picture features Jalen Brunson holding the NBA Cup trophy the team won in December.
The Knicks acquired Alvarado from the New Orleans Pelicans Thursday afternoon for Dalen Terry and two second-round picks as the trade deadline continues to heat up. In his fifth season with the Pelicans, Alvarado is averaging 7.9 points, 3.1 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 41.8 percent from the field.
The Brooklyn native’s acquisition comes at the perfect time for New York following Miles McBride’s recent injury. He was diagnosed with a sports hernia and will undergo surgery immediately, putting his status for the postseason in doubt.
McBride was averaging a career-high 12.9 points per game this season — over three points higher than his next-best mark — making him a major loss for the Knicks.
To get Alvarado, it took some maneuvering from New York. The Knicks first acquired Terry from the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night for Guerschon Yabusele, ending his disappointing Knicks career. They then shipped Terry to New Orleans to end up with Alvarado.
The Knicks currently sit second in the Eastern Conference, five games behind the first-place Detroit Pistons. They’re currently playing its best basketball of the year, winning eight games in a row dating back to Jan. 21. The addition of Alvarado should only help, especially when McBride comes back as well.
And Stiller will be there through it all.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
