Jose Alvarado turned the 2026 NBA Finals into a personal proving ground during Game 4, stepping up with a heroic performance during the New York Knicks' indescribable 29-point comeback win. Alvarado was electric, providing invaluable energy on defense, clutch shot-making, and an infectious will to win. In turn, he showed the Los Angeles Lakers exactly who they should be looking at.
As the Lakers search for a third guard to bridge the gap between Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, Alvarado is looking the part of a dream culture fit.
Alvarado, 28, will be eligible for unrestricted free agency this coming summer. He has a $4.5 million player option, but there's at least some reason to believe that he could prioritize long-term stability with a new contract that secures a future beyond the 2026-27 season.
If Alvarado ultimately declines his player option and enters unrestricted free agency, the Lakers should move quickly to bring him into the fold.
Jose Alvarado is the energetic two-way guard Lakers need
Doncic and Reaves are high-volume players in both their playing styles and their playing time. As such, the Lakers don't necessarily need a backup point guard who can come in and run the offense for 20-plus minutes per game.
Instead, they need an eager defender who can put pressure on opposing teams' best guards, as well as a well-rounded offensive player who can offer on and off-ball value.
Alvarado checks each of those boxes. That begins on defense, where he's just as willing to go to battle with considerably bigger players in the post as he is to match up against guards his size and torment them with his active hands and unrelenting physicality.
That's translated to Alvarado posting a career mark of 2.1 steals per 36 minutes and ranking in the 88th percentile in both perimeter isolation defense and off-ball chaser defense in 2025-26, per Basketball Index.
Jose Alvarado is a culture fit who isn't afraid of big moments
Offensively, Alvarado holds teams accountable with his respectable outside shot when working away from the ball. He's shot at least 35.2 percent from beyond the arc in each of the past three seasons and buried 38.5 percent of his catch-and-shoot attempts in 2025-26.
Alvarado is also a quick and crafty playmaker who can get into the heart of a defense with his handle and agility, and find open shooters along the wings or lob threats in the paint.
Alvarado's game doesn't always come across as conventionally brilliant, but his impact is felt regardless of how it may appear. His energy is endless and his quickness would offer a welcome change of pace in a Lakers backcourt that's built around two stars who aren't exactly known for their explosiveness.
Signing Alvarado will be no small feat after his NBA Finals heroics, but the Lakers should at least have him squarely on their radar.
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