As the NBA offseason starts to cool down and Summer League gets underway, the biggest storyline remains LeBron James. After all, Jaylen Brown and Giannis Antetokounmpo have already been traded, as has Kawhi Leonard, sort of. The San Antonio Spurs already made their big move, signing free agent Tobias Harris to a two-year deal.
Even as rumors begin to settle down, the Spurs can’t fully escape mock trades and speculation. It seems that San Antonio is still committed to De’Aaron Fox, pouring cold water on those talks. But that doesn’t mean that they’re in the clear.
After a lackluster playoff performance, Keldon Johnson could still be traded. He is a solid player, but with only one year left on his contract, the Spurs have yet to extend his deal. That remaining $17.5 million in salary is easily tradeable, and San Antonio could have plenty of suitors.
If the Spurs do trade him, they should make one free agent signing to shore up the wing rotation with Johnson gone.
Spurs Should Bring Back Jeremy Sochan
Bringing back Sochan comes with a major caveat: Johnson must be moved. In the power forward rotation, Harris, Julian Champagnie, Jayden Quaintance, and even Harrison Barnes would all slot in before Sochan.
Harris and Quaintance can be physical players, although Harris is a bit of a floor-spacer. Adding Sochan on a budget free agency deal might spur on Quaintance’s development, and if the rookie remains out with injury, would give the Spurs a depth piece.
Sochan seems tight with the Spurs, especially Victor Wembanyama, even after beating them in the NBA Finals. Sochan is yet to be re-signed by the Knicks, and after languishing on the end of their bench, it doesn’t seem likely that the reigning champs will bring him back.
In his final half-season with the Spurs, Sochan went from key young piece to garbage-time sub. Mitch Johnson clearly preferred leaving him on the bench, which sent a clear message: this is my team now, and we’re not doing things the same way. Keep in mind that Gregg Popovich was one of Sochan’s biggest fans, but once he left the sidelines, Sochan left the lineup.
A few seasons ago, Sochan seemed to be a staple of the starting lineup. If he came back to the Spurs for a second stint, he would provide traditional power forward play behind both Harris and Quaintance, but as the youngster struggles to stay healthy and Harris ages, having a piece behind them makes sense.
For now, that’s Johnson, but Sochan’s new deal with the Spurs would be for a lot less than $17.5. If and only if the Spurs move on from Johnson, Sochan wouldn’t be a bad free agency pickup.
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