The San Antonio Spurs are expected to be major players ahead of the NBA trade deadline, and this prediction might be a hard pill for fans to swallow.
The San Antonio Spurs are expected to be one of the league's biggest players ahead of the NBA trade deadline, and they have ample assets to move on from.
The Spurs have been linked to Lauri Markkanen, Trey Murphy III, and even Giannis Antetokounmpo this season, and with matching salary in Harrison Barnes, Kelly Olynyk, and possibly Devin Vassell if needed, as well as their draft capital, the Spurs could swing for the fences.
Ahead of the February 5th deadline, there is one universal prediction for the move the Spurs will make.
Spurs Will Trade Jeremy Sochan...#
After three seasons spent as a focal point of the Spurs' rebuild, Jeremy Sochan has fallen out of Mitch Johnson's rotation and is often the last player off the bench.
He is posting career lows across the board, in large part thanks to his limited minutes. Of course, his offense has always been lacking, but there was hope he would put it all together and become a solid two-way player. Behind Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, Sochan is the best defender on the roster.
However, a lack of a 3-point shot and some questionable on-ball play have relegated him to the end of the bench. As a restricted free agent next summer, it's hard to imagine the Spurs tossing a new contract his way. Even as fans continie to embrace Sochan, it's clear that a trade is his only shot at getting playing time moving forward.
His limited playing time has hurt his trade value, but the right suitor might take him instead of a Spurs' first-round pick, which should fall late in the draft.
...Who Will Find Immediate Success With His New Team#
If Sochan is dealt away, chances are it will be to a rebuilding team. Teams like the Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans, or Washington Wizards come to mind.
On those rosters, it stands to reason that Sochan will play 25-30 minutes a game, just like he did in years past with the Spurs when they were in the midst of a rebuild. While Sopchan's offensive game is limited, he is an adept cutter, passer, and driver, and his defense is elite.
If he lands in the right situation, it's not unrealistic that he would average 16 points, seven rebounds, and four assists on his new team. Would the Spurs regret moving him then? Probably not, since his success would be a product of the team he's on. The team that plays Sochan as a focal point of their offense will not win more than 35 games, even if he continues to improve.
The Spurs understand what some fans do not: Sochan is not a starter (or even a key bench player) on a title-winning team. There are several players around the league just like that. Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, Josh Giddey, and Tyler Herro are all similar examples. Sure, they're better players than Sochan, but if they are a central part of the rotation, their team won't make a deep playoff push. That doesn't mean they aren't quality players; it just means they are often tasked with too much.
Sochan, in the past, played above his role. The Spurs didn't have better players to put in front of him. In the modern NBA, someone has to score 20 points, and on a bad team, it could be Sochan.
On a good team? Mitch Johnson is showing us what that looks like.