Report: Spurs Looking to Move Jeremy Sochan Before NBA Trade Deadline

Jeremy Sochan may not be in San Antonio much longer.

According to Marc Stein, the Spurs have given Sochan and his representatives permission to seek a new home before the February 5 NBA trade deadline.

Sochan makes $7.1 million in the final year of his rookie deal, and will enter restricted free agency at the end of this season. The Spurs didn’t extend him in the previous offseason, and he fell out of the rotation this year

The writing on the wall spells a bitter end in San Antonio for a guy who was asked by the Spurs to do every job imaginable. He did those jobs to the best of his abilities in a way that surely grew those abilities. As much as Sochan would prefer to stay and contribute, some fresh scenery seems like his best opportunity to show the unique and valuable skillset and personality he brings to the court.

In 2022, the Spurs used their highest draft pick since Tim Duncan to select Sochan out of Baylor at ninth overall. He wore a power lavender suit and by the end of the night had San Antonians asking him to dye his hair fiesta colors, which he later did.

On that night he was widely regarded as the best and most switchable defender in the draft, providing enough impact and value on that end of the floor to merit the playing time necessary to explore his upside on offense. He showed flashes of potential as a cutter, screener and handoff hub, a dunker spot lurker, even putting it on the floor a little bit at 6-foot-9. If he dialed in his three-point shot he could be a pretty special player.

All of that remains pretty true today. For a number of teams, the 22-year-old remains worth paying and playing on the strength of his defense and potential in his offense in the right role. He’s a world-class pest who won’t back down from anyone, and seems eager to prove his worth.

He put it all on display in short stints against the Grizzlies and Lakers, providing intensity all over and while getting under the skin of his opponents. After the win over Los Angeles Jared Vanderbilt sought him out to jab a finger in his face, making him a two-time member of the constantly growing “I Want to Fight Jeremy Sochan” club.

Sochan leads the league in opposing players trying to kiss him pic.twitter.com/xMrtjVrM0l
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) March 18, 2025

"I must've said something to him during the game, and maybe it wasn't very nice," Sochan told reporters including ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. "He must have taken it in the wrong way and told me to see him after the game. So, I did. And we just had a polite exchange. I was, I think, intact and very joyful and the other person wasn't. Yeah, he just wasn't emotionally stable in that moment. So, it's something he has to work on. It's just life."

The agitating enforcer also spoke about the ebbs and flows of a frustrating, challenging season where he hasn’t had the opportunity to play as much as he wants to.

"When I think about my whole life, I've been moving all over the place. I left home at 15, and this is the first time I've been somewhere for more than a year since then. This is my home. I feel like I've put in a lot of blood and sweat here to this city," he said. "I'm going to put all of that into wherever I am, and I'm here right now. So, I'm staying here and it's out of my control,” Sochan said.

“I feel like there's waves. It's up and down. There's days where it's sunny and then days where it's dark. I think my career has been like that. I feel like I've put a lot of effort into doing the right thing, and sometimes things you can't control happen. Some of it is positive, some negative. It's been dark, but what can I do? I can't control it. The most important thing is to stay in the present, and that's what I'm doing."

Sochan has stayed ready, but he has remained glued to the bench. On January 26 he tweeted “Patience” alongside the head massage emoji. Earlier in January he shared an article about former Spurs teammate Sidy Cissoko, who has found a home in Portland as a starter with the Trail Blazers.

During his 3.5 seasons in San Antonio he’s played starting point guard, backup center, and everything in between. He’s shown strengths and weaknesses and flashes in a variety of contexts, but he’s never been in the same context for long enough to build a consistent role for reasons beyond his control.

The Spurs started Sochan and let him loose in his first year as he made the Rising Stars game and second team All Rookie, averaging 11 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. He started in 53 of his 56 appearances for a rebuilding San Antonio team that went 22-60. The only players remaining from that roster are Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson.

A year after Sochan landed in San Antonio, they won the lottery of all lotteries and got Victor Wembanyama. On opening night they started Sochan at point guard alongside Vassell, Johnson, Wemby, and Zach Collins at center.

The goals of the Point Sochan Experiment were clear from the jump. If he thrived as an oversized point guard it would be a valuable way to pair Wemby with their other most recent top pick. If it didn’t work, the kid got some valuable ball handling reps against top competition in a year where the Spurs were expected to be in the lottery anyway.

"It is the first time I have ever played point guard in my life," Sochan said at the time. "I am doing it. I am making a transition like this in the NBA, which is rare. You don't see a lot of people going from power forward to point guard.

"There have been moments where it's like, 'Yo, I don't want to.' It's like, 'f--- this s---.' I'm going to be honest. There have been moments where there isn't confidence. But there are moments of being confident and just working. Knowing the trust I have from the coaches and players, it helps."

San Antonio had started the season a fun and impressive 3-2, and then reality struck as they lost 18 games in a row. The Point Sochan Experiment lasted around 20 games before he was moved to more of a natural fit as a big wing at the 4 alongside Wembanyama.

During the stretch where he was the point guard he led the team in assists per game at 4.4 per game and hit 43% of his threes, averaging 11.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He turned it over 2.4 times per game, and although he wasn’t the only reason for the disorganized offense it became clear that shifting to a lineup with a true point guard would help the results for the team and the development for both Sochan and Wembanyama.

Again the Spurs lost 60 games, and again they drafted the Rookie of the Year in Stephon Castle, who has already established himself as a star. In Castle’s first season the Spurs also acquired Chris Paul, Harrison Barnes, and later De’Aaron Fox. Sochan slid into a bench role, playing a lot of small-ball center as injuries and trades decimated San Antonio’s big man depth.

The team opted not to extend Sochan in the next offseason, and they signed Luke Kornet and drafted the uber-talented Dylan Harper as well as a springy, switchable wing in Carter Bryant. Bryant is still raw, but he’s getting run and showing flashes at the position Sochan would be playing.

Sochan found himself on the outside looking in, for reasons on the basketball court and the balance sheet. His 3-point shooting never came along, and spacing is absolutely necessary to punish defenses for loading the paint against Wembanyama and slashers like Fox, Castle and Harper. With all of those players on the roster, plus the frontcourt additions of Barnes, Bryant and Kornet, it would have been very difficult to justify a big contract for Sochan in the second apron era unless he had developed much more.

The Spurs probably could have developed Sochan better, but that priority took a backseat to developing a title contender around Victor Wembanyama. In furtherance of that ultimate goal, and to provide more opportunity for a player they still really like, it seems they will give another team the chance to explore Sochan’s potential.

It remains to be seen what teams will be willing to give up for Sochan, or if the Spurs will try to package him with other players like Kelly Olynyk in a bigger deal.

If Sochan does move on, a large percentage of the San Antonio faithful will keep on rooting for the bright-haired enforcer with a goofy grin. Any team that trades for him will get a young defender with plenty of room to grow.