Pelicans depth guard could miss camp time with sprained ankle

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

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-feet, 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 percent) 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.