The San Antonio Spurs opted to waive Jeremy Sochan after the NBA trade deadline, although a recent report suggests that the team could have landed some value for the former lottery pick on the trade market.
The San Antonio Spurs closed a chapter before the All-Star Break, releasing former lottery pick Jeremy Sochan.
Sochan is a talented and versatile defender and is one of the best enforcers in the league, although his offensive limitations contributed to his lack of playing time in San Antonio. Picked ninth overall in 2022, Sochan's scoring never really blossomed, and he remained a talented, albeit one-dimensional, player during his Spurs tenure.
Of course, it didn't help that the Spurs rarely let him play in his natural position, instead opting to use him as an experimental piece. After being waived, Sochan immediately signed with the New York Knicks.
The move revealed a massive mistake on the Spurs' part.
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The Spurs, before waiving Sochan, engaged in talks to trade him to the Knicks. However, the Spurs did not want to commit to paying Guerschon Yabusele, who has a player option for next season and would have almost certainly been included in a deal.
Instead, the Spurs lost Sochan for nothing, although it seems the player and team parted amicably, which is a point of pride for the front office.
However, when Sochan cleared waivers and hit the market, there was a lot of interest in him.
"Many teams had been in contact with Sochan and his representation since his release from San Antonio, especially given that the buyout market for impactful forwards is light," wrote ClutchPoints' insider Brett Siegel. "Sochan was drawing interest from 10 different teams, including New York."
Ten teams?!
Understand that the Spurs want financial flexibility for the offseason, but with Harrison Barnes and Kelly Olynyk set to enter free agency in the summer, I find it hard to believe that the Spurs couldn't have gotten a decent return for Sochan. Maybe an overlooked shooter, a backup center to upgrade the frontcourt rotation like Nick Richards, or even some late draft capital would have been a decent return.
Besides, it's not like Yabusele's option would have broken the bank for the Spurs.
Maybe giving Sochan the choice to sign with any team in the league was worth it to San Antonio, although they let the most sought-after buyout player (including Cam Thomas!) walk for nothing. Was Sochan's value sky-high? Nope, but I find it hard that the Spurs were unable to make a trade. Unwilling, maybe.