San Antonio Spurs waive Jeremy Sochan

Jeremy Sochan's game time declined substantially as the team reoriented around Wemby and other new players. Jeremy Sochan’s game time declined substantially as the team reoriented around Wemby and other new players. Credit: Jaime Monzon

Time to say goodbye to one of the most colorful players in recent Spurs history.

After weeks of speculation that a trade might be brewing for Jeremy Sochan, the Silver and Black on Wednesday revealed the team had waived the versatile player known for his neon hairstyles and tough defensive moves.

When an NBA team waives a player, they’re released from their contract before its expiration date. At that point, the player is available to other franchises to place under contract. If unclaimed, they become an unrestricted free agent.

San Antonio drafted Sochan with the ninth overall selection in the 2022 NBA Draft. In four seasons, he averaged 10.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 25.3 minutes.

However, as the Spurs rebuilt around 7-foot-4 superstar Victor Wembanyama and grabbed additional talent, Sochan began spending considerably more time on the bench. He only appeared in 28 of 53 games this season, averaging just 4.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and a single assist in 12.8 minutes.

Sochan is expected to receive interest from multiple NBA franchises, CBS Sports reports. Assuming he lands on team where he’s able to get 20-plus minutes per game, he could “emerge as a deep league asset,” the network reports.

Beyond his on-court versatility, Sochan is known for broad personal interests outside of professional hoops, among them art, music and collecting antique furniture.

For a 2024 cover story the Current did on Sochan, then-head coach Gregg Popovich praised the young player’s inquisitive mind, positive energy and knack for leading by example.

“When I think about Jeremy, I think about enthusiasm, energy, love of the game and that kind of thing,” Popovich said. “And by osmosis, everybody else feels that and gets a part of that. So, I think that’s basically his personality and what he gives on a daily basis or game-by-game basis.”

Sochan describes himself as a “citizen of the world,” something reflected in his globetrotting life. Although born in the U.S. to a Polish mother who played Division II hoops, he was raised in Britain and moved to the U.S.

In conversation with the Current, he credited his mother, Anita, with pushing him to be the best he could at basketball.

“I think it helped that I had a genuine connection with a genuine person who wanted me to be great,” Sochan said. “But the other thing that I personally think helped was that there was no pressure. There was no moment in my career — or when I was young, learning how to play — where my mom would be like, ‘This is the way. This is what you have to do with your life.’”

San Antonio Spurs waive Jeremy Sochan

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