According to Shams Charania, Jeremy Sochan intends to sign with the Knicks, turning some pre-trade-deadline chatter into an actual addition for the team.
Sochan, at least from a visual standpoint, pulls off the Dennis Rodman look to a T. The hair, the tattoos, even the now former No. 10 Spurs uniform all felt like a deliberate nod to the original chaos artist. On first glance, the resemblance was hard to ignore. But that is where the parallels with the seven time rebounding champion and Hall of Famer begin to fade.
Sochan is not inhaling rebounds at a historic rate or flirting with 20 point explosions on a random Tuesday. What he does bring is disruption with intent. He guards across positions, welcomes physical matchups, and takes on the assignments most players would rather sidestep. He will switch onto guards without panic, wrestle with bigger forwards without complaint, and live in the uncomfortable spaces of a possession. It is the kind of work that rarely trends but consistently earns equity inside a locker room.
As the ninth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Sochan averaged roughly 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in about 26 minutes per game, carving out a consistent role right away. The following season, his responsibility expanded. He hovered around 11 to 12 points per night again, bumped his rebounding closer to the 6 per game range, and increased his assists to over 3 per contest while playing nearly 30 minutes a night. It was not star level production, but it was well rounded and indicative of a player being trusted with real usage.
By 2024 to 25, the numbers held in a similar band, around 11 points, 6 rebounds, and a couple of assists per game, though his minutes fluctuated as San Antonio reshaped its rotation. This season, before being waived, his role shrank dramatically. In just under 13 minutes per game across 28 appearances, his counting stats dipped accordingly. On a per minute basis, however, his profile has remained relatively consistent: moderate scoring, solid rebounding for a combo forward, and enough passing to keep the ball moving.
Over the span of his first four seasons in San Antonio, Sochan logged minutes at both forward spots, slid over to small ball center. At 6 foot 8 and 230 pounds, he even opened last season as the Spurs’ starting point guard. He was entrusted with initiating the offense, bringing the ball up against pressure, and organizing half court sets like a lead guard.
For a team like the Knicks, that elasticity carries weight. In an era where playoff series are chess matches and defensive switching is currency, a player who can guard multiple positions and slide across lineup constructions functions as insurance.
Would he walk in and flip a rotation on its head overnight? Unlikely. He is not that kind of acquisition. But for a team with championship aspirations and a recent history of injuries across the lineup, the value calculation shifts.
Adding a player who willingly takes on defensive assignments, rebounds his area, and gives a coaching staff the freedom to tinker with matchups has real utility over the grind of a season and into a playoff series. Depth is not just about bodies. It is about flexibility when things inevitably go sideways.
If all else fails, the Knicks could at least roll out a Jeremy Sochan wig giveaway night, adding a few bold new shades to the usual blue and orange in the stands.