The San Antonio Spurs waived Jeremy Sochan, allowing him to sign with the New York Knicks in an effort to revitalize his career.
In the days after the NBA trade deadline, the San Antonio Spurs waived Jeremy Sochan. The 2022 ninth overall pick had fallen out of the lineup, and it was clear that he was no longer a central piece to the Spurs' plans.
Herelded as an elite defensive player, Sochan's offense never really came around. His one-dimensional play alienated him to some fans, although his brash, in-your-face, physical playstyle endeared him to others.
Sochan was clearly Gregg Popovich's guy, and as Mitch Johnson took over, Sochan saw fewer and fewer minutes. After being waived by the Spurs, he signed with the New York Knicks and recently made his first media appearance.
Jeremy Sochan Reveals Spurs Slide
In 2022, Sochan was drafted to a putrid Spurs team. He received an All-Rookie nod and looked like a starting forward for the future, especially if his 3-point shot started to fall.
Instead, the Spurs moved him to point guard, and then backup center, and asked him to do basically everything except for what he's best at: play as a defensive star and the fourth or fifth option on offense.
While he made it clear that there were no hard feelings between him and the Spurs, he's aware that he should get better chances in New York.
"No real opportunity in my opinion," Sochan said to James Edwards III. "It is what it is. It's a deep team. Maybe I didn't see eye-to-eye with coach. I'm just blessed to be somewhere to grow."
"Coach," in this case, refers to Johnson. He and Popovich were often spotted laughing and chatting during practices or lulls in the game, and in his own, small way, Sochan paid some homage to his old coach.
"I bring a little bit of nasty," he added to the Knicks' media.
For fans of the Silver and Black, that should sound familiar.
Popovich's "I want some nasty" rant in the Western Conference Finals quickly went viral, with fans putting the quote on t-shirts and letting it take over the early social media space.
Sochan, of course, wasn't on the roster when the Spurs were going on their deep playoff runs, although the "nasty" mantra continued to ring long after the dynasty ended.