The San Antonio Spurs waived Jeremy Sochan, the ninth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
The San Antonio Spurs have waived forward Jeremy Sochan, ESPN reported on Wednesday.
Picked ninth overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, the rebuilding Spurs needed quality talent and opted to pick Sochan. At his best, he was expected to be a high-level role-player. He showed flashes through the last three-and-a-half seasons, although his offensive limitations and lack of improvement, especially as a shooter, caused Mitch Johnson to bench him for much of this season.
With the move, the Spurs open up a roster spot, and Sochan can sign with any team in the league. Before the trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and New York Knicks were all reported to have interest.
Spurs Split With Sochan
Sochan was one of the more divisive players on the roster, with some fans seeing him as a bust thanks to his offensive shortcomings, and others seeing him as a versatile defender and enforcer.
Gregg Popovich was an ardent defender of Sochan and tasked him with being the Spurs' starting point guard in 2023. However, with Johnson now calling the shots, Sochan missed nearly as many games as he played in, and his role had been reduced to garbage time.
Of course, it didn't help that Carter Bryant has been improving all season long.
"I know that Jeremy wants to play more, like many people who aren't playing as much, and I am glad that he wants that," Mitch Johnson said on Tuesday. "That's a competitive mindset that you have to have to be successful in this league. And as of right now, he has not been in the rotation, and that's a decision that I've made. And I expect Jeremy to continue to come to work every day, be a professional, and a great teammate."
It looks like Sochan will be a great teammate elsewhere.
Despite Sochan's position as a fan-favorite in San Antonio, there simply was not a spot on the roster for him, and not enough minutes for him to be used effectively. In 212 games with the Spurs in a variety of roles and positions, Sochan averaged 10.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists, posting career lows across the board this season.