Jeremy Sochan, the Spurs’ swingman, was released by the franchise tonight since the team failed to reach any trade agreements before the February 5 trade deadline. This information came hours after what Sochan described was a “stressful” time before the trade deadline.
Most people assumed that since he didn’t get traded, the Spurs might find a place for him on the roster. But he was abruptly released today so that he can potentially join a team from a list of options before teams lock in their potentially final rosters before the March 1 deadline.
Sochan has fallen out of the Spurs’ rotation since December 2025, and the team stated that the reason to release him now is not due to any fallout but simply due to the logjam of talent in the places where he can contribute.
When the Spurs added Harrison Barnes in 2024, they tried to experiment with Sochan at the point guard position. But with the arrival of De’Aaron Fox and drafting Dylan Harper, that alternative seemed like a dead avenue for development. So he was shifted to coming off the bench instead of starting.
Now, with the emergence of Carter Bryant, Sochan completely fell out of the rotation simply because Bryant was considered an upgrade in comparison to Sochan due to his effectiveness on the offensive end of the floor.
Sochan averaged 10.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in the four seasons he played with the Spurs. He shot 46.8% from the floor, mostly on dunks and layups, and shot 28.7% from beyond the arc.
From a player averaging over 25 minutes of action per game last season, Sochan had now fallen to 12.8 minutes per game for the Spurs. This season, he averaged 4.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assists while shooting 47.5% from the field and 27.5% from beyond the arc.
In comparison, Carter Bryant is averaging 3.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.3 assists so far in his regular season, but he only averages a little over nine minutes of action per game. He shot 37.0% from the field and 32.0% from beyond the arc during this time.
Carter Bryant is currently in his rookie season, averaging fewer minutes per game than Sochan, but his arrival seems to have given an additional indication to Sochan and the team that, with the logjam of young talent looking to grow on this roster, the Spurs are not the best place for him to develop.
Bryant still has more time to work on his offensive game as compared to Sochan, who has been with the team for four years and has not shown much improvement.
Mitch Johnson, the Spurs’ head coach, recently addressed keeping Sochan out of the regular rotation and took the responsibility of the decision on his own shoulders.
“As of right now, he’s not been in the rotation, and that’s a decision I have made,” said Johnson after the Spurs defeated the Lakers 136-108 last night.
“I know that Jeremy wants to play more, like many people who aren’t playing as much, and I’m glad he wants that. That’s a competitive mindset that you have to have to be successful in this league,” he further added.
In conclusion, with the logjam of young talent and veterans like Harrison Barnes and Keldon Johnson playing in his potential spots with the team, both Sochan’s representation and the team’s front office seem to have agreed that the Spurs were not the best franchise for Sochan to develop.
The Polish forward was in the final few months of a four-year, $23 million rookie contract before being released as an unrestricted free agent. This allows him to potentially sign a contract with another team as he looks to find his place in the NBA.
Multiple teams are reportedly interested in adding him to their roster. Hopefully, the 22-year-old forward finds a home in the league before falling behind an abundance of fresh and experienced talent sitting and watching the league from the sidelines right now.
