The Knicks lost a big piece in their rotation on Thursday, as reserve point guard Miles McBride is officially set to miss the next four-to-six weeks following surgery for a core muscle injury. 

Losing McBride is a huge blow to New York’s second unit. 

It didn’t take them long to find his replacement, though, as they acquired scrappy point guard Jose Alvarado in a deal with the New Orleans Pelicans ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.  

Alvarado is a high-energy player, who should slide into McBride’s place perfectly. 

While he won’t light up the score sheet on a nightly basis, the Christ the Kings product is a tenacious defender who should fit in perfectly with the rowdy MSG crowd. 

Head coach Mike Brown is excited about what he can add to this lineup. 

“He brings a level of toughness to this team, his energy is unmatched,” Brown said. “What he can do defensively in the full court and even in the front court with the ball especially on the pick-and-rolls and stuff, is at a pretty high level. 

“He shoots it better than people think, too. We want to play fast and we believe he's a guy who will come in and push the pace, get into our offense, and all of that because he’s quick and has a low center of gravity -- excited to have him.”

Alvarado averaged 7.9 points and 3.1 assists over 21.9 minutes in 41 games with the Pelicans this season. 

He wasn’t with the Knicks yet for Friday’s blowout loss in Detroit, but has officially been cleared to make his orange and blue debut Sunday afternoon against the Celtics. 

The 27-year-old could be in line for an extended role out of the gate if the Knicks remain very shorthanded. 

McBride is sidelined following surgery, and Josh Hart (ankle), Karl-Anthony Towns (eye laceration), and OG Anunoby (toe) are all listed as questionable heading in.