Alvarado, much like the Pelicans themselves, enters the 2025-26 season as a true wild card. His role grew last year, making 23 starts in 56 regular-season games and averaging 10.3 points, 4.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 24.4 minutes per contest while shooting 39.2 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from deep. He cracked double figures in scoring for the first time in his career, but his efficiency slipped below 40 percent from the floor for the first time as well. What has remained steady for New Orleans is Alvarado's defensive tenacity -- the 27-year-old has posted at least a steal per game in every season since debuting in 2021-22. Predicting the scrappy guard's minutes is tricky, given the Pelicans' crowded perimeter, which now includes Jeremiah Fears and Jordan Poole, added via the 2025 NBA Draft and trade market, respectively. The improved health of Herbert Jones and the continued growth of Jordan Hawkins will also influence his role. However, Dejounte Murray won't return until later in the season as he recovers from a torn right Achilles tendon suffered in January 2025. Alvarado's defensive intensity will earn him playing time, but a meaningful jump in production or minutes is far from guaranteed.