Spurs rumors: Jeremy Sochan allowed to seek trade

Once viewed as an integral part of the San Antonio Spurs’ rotation, Jeremy Sochan has faded into the background as of late. With the changes to the roster, the former first-round lottery pick has seen his minutes dwindle this season. It’s led to questions about whether the Polish forward will remain with the team moving forward.

Well, the Spurs are already moving to give Sochan the chance he deserves. Marc Stein’s latest report says that San Antonio has granted permission for the forward to seek a trade before the deadline. 

“League sources say that Jeremy Sochan and his representation have received permission from the Spurs to explore the landscape for a potential new home via trade,” Stein reported.

Sochan, the ninth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, was an integral part of the Spurs’ rotation last season. He played in 54 games last season and played 25.3 minutes per game. Sochan scored 11.4 points and grabbed 6.5 rebounds per game. He was one of the better defenders on the team, and his uncanny finishing was a great complement to Victor Wembanyama.

This season, though, Sochan has fallen out of the rotation hard. Injuries have certainly affected the forward, but even then, Sochan has appeared in only 27 of the 46 Spurs games this season. He’s played just 13.1 minutes off the bench, his lowest mark by far in his career. That, coupled with the Spurs declining his team option before the season, seems to indicate that his exit is imminent.

Despite losing his spot on the rotation, there’s still a market for Sochan’s talents. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reports that at least one team, the Knicks, is interested in the Spurs forward. However, in that same report, Siegel also notes that there’s pushback within the organization to trade Sochan.

“In discussions with the Spurs, the Knicks have inquired about 2022 ninth overall pick Jeremy Sochan, sources said. Sochan is in the final year of his rookie contract and will be a restricted free agent in the summer. His defensive versatility at either forward position and slashing abilities on offense would fit in with New York’s style of play.”