The Knicks have added one more piece to their roster for the playoff push, agreeing to sign former lottery pick Jeremy Sochan for the remainder of the season, according to a league source.
Sochan, 22, who was waived by the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, signed a league minimum deal, filling the salary-cap space the Knicks opened below the second apron when they dealt Guerschon Yabusele to the Chicago Bulls and obtained Jose Alvarado from the New Orleans Pelicans before the trade deadline last week.
Sochan was the ninth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and was a second-team All-Rookie selection in his first year. He averaged more than 11 points per game in his first three seasons, serving primarily as a starter, but this season saw his minutes cut in half.
A natural power forward, the 6-9 Sochan saw time at point guard and center for San Antonio through his three-plus seasons there, but with the Spurs building around dynamic point guards and Victor Wembanyama, his inability to shoot from the perimeter (25.7% this season on three-pointers after shooting 30.8% in each of the previous two seasons) made him expendable.
The Knicks, according to a league source, valued his defensive versatility and targeted him at the trade deadline. He provides depth for them up front and gives them another high-level defender as the 15th and final contract.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.