Knicks to Sign Jeremy Sochan After Former Lottery Pick Was Waived by Spurs

On Wednesday the news broke that the Spurs would be waiving Jeremy Sochan after failing to find a new home for the 2022 lottery pick before this year’s trade deadline.

It was an intriguing yet understandable move by San Antonio. Sochan had lost his minutes to Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson and Carter Bryant over the course of this season; there weren’t many to go around to begin with given the Spurs’ glut of backcourt talent and the domineering presence of Victor Wembanyama in the frontcourt. But Sochan flashed enough skills in his first three years as a regular rotation player to believe he could make a positive impact in different circumstances.

It didn’t take long for him to find a new home. Less than 24 hours after his release ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the 22-year-old forward planned to sign with the Knicks after he cleared waivers. Per Charania, Sochan received interest from a third of the NBA after he was let go by San Antonio.

The move seems like a solid buy-low opportunity for New York. The Knicks exited the trade deadline with a mild need for frontcourt depth after dumping failed free agent signing Guerschon Yabusele in order to acquire point guard Jose Alvarado. When the team is fully healthy Sochan won’t see the court often but given New York’s desire to rest Mitchell Robinson for one half of every back-to-back this season and the general lack of even quasi-big men on the roster outside him and Karl-Anthony Towns, there should be some opportunities down the stretch of the season.

In his best season with the Spurs in 2024–25 Sochan scored 11.4 points per game on 53% shooting from the floor and pulled down 6.5 rebounds a night. He is not at all a threat from the perimeter and thus profiles as a dirty work forward who will battle on the boards while playing physical defense. Sochan flashed some passing chops at times with the Spurs and averaged 3.4 assists per night in 2023–24 but likely won’t be asked to tap into that part of his game if he shares the floor with any of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Towns or Josh Hart.

The hope for the Knicks is that Sochan shows enough value on the court that he could be brought back for cheap in future seasons. New York owns the second-highest payroll in the NBA and is $10 million over the first apron, which severely limits the organization's flexibility. Potential bargains like Sochan are quite valuable in building out the lower end of a contending roster.

Sochan’s first opportunity to don the orange and blue will come after the All-Star break on February 19 in an important clash with the Pistons, the No. 1 team in the East.

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