San Antonio Spurs Predicted to Offer $33 Million Contract to Key Player

In this story:
The San Antonio Spurs have a busy offseason ahead, looking to build on a solid season despite injuries to their stars, Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox. The Spurs went 34-48, but have the pieces to make a run at the postseason next year.
One concern for San Antonio this offseason will be the potential extension of 2022 first-round pick Jeremy Sochan. The 21-year-old is eligible to sign an extension from July 1 to the day before the start of the 2025-26 season, as are all first-round picks from the 2022 NBA Draft.
Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus recently predicted Sochan to stay with the Spurs, signing a three-year, $33 million extension, which would kick in at the start of the 2026-27 season. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 11.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists this past season.
"Jeremy Sochan is a strong defender, but he doesn't stretch the floor," Pincus wrote. "The Spurs experimented with him as a point forward in prior years, but the arrivals of De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle reduced their need for another ball-handler.
"Sochan is probably a bench player moving forward, which may limit how much the Spurs are willing to pay him at this juncture."

The Spurs will have a number of unrestricted free agents this summer, including Chris Paul. However, keeping Sochan, who has been one of their better players over the last few seasons, should be a top priority. Locking him up for the long term would mean he stays within San Antonio's core in hopes that it gets back to the postseason.
Related Articles
LeBron James Sends Heartfelt Message to Spurs' Gregg Popovich
Three-Team NBA Trade Idea Pairs Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama

Jed Katz is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison majoring in journalism. He also covers the Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, and Houston Rockets for On SI, and hosts the Bleav in Bulls podcast, covering the Chicago Bulls.
Follow jedkatzNBA