Just days after the Lakers locked in their final roster spot with the signing of Kobe Bufkin, the San Antonio Spurs made a surprising move of their own, waiving 22-year-old forward Jeremy Sochan. Now a free agent, Sochan is expected to draw interest from multiple teams around the league, and rightfully so - despite recent struggles, he still brings some intriguing tools to the table.
San Antonio had reportedly been shopping Sochan ahead of the trade deadline, so this wasn’t completely out of left field. Still, it raised eyebrows.
After all, we're talking about a former lottery pick with legitimate defensive upside. But the writing was on the wall.
Sochan had fallen out of the rotation, logging just four minutes of garbage time in the Spurs’ win over Dallas on February 7. Before that?
Another four-minute stint, two weeks earlier, in a blowout victory over Milwaukee. In both cases, his presence on the floor was more symbolic than strategic.
Instead, Spurs assistant coach Mitch Johnson - who’s taken on an expanded role - has been leaning into youth, giving rookie Carter Bryant a longer leash. That shift in development priorities left Sochan on the outside looking in.
The biggest issue holding Sochan back? Simply put: the shot hasn’t come around.
San Antonio experimented with him at point guard - a bold move, but one that didn’t play to his strengths. And while his defensive versatility is real - he can switch across multiple positions and hold his own on the perimeter - his offensive game remains a work in progress.
He shot just 25.7% from three this season on a low volume (1.3 attempts per game). Even in 2023-24, when he let it fly more frequently (3.1 attempts per game), he connected at just 30.8% - his career best, but still well below league average.
That lack of shooting has made it hard for coaches to keep him on the floor, especially in today’s spacing-heavy NBA. But here's the thing: defense like his doesn’t grow on trees. That alone could’ve made him a valuable addition for a team like the Lakers, who are always looking for two-way contributors to complement their stars.
Instead, LA opted to go with Bufkin - a low-risk, high-upside signing. The former No. 15 overall pick in the 2023 draft had a rocky start to his NBA career, appearing in just 17 games across two seasons with Atlanta before being traded to Brooklyn and ultimately waived. But he’d been turning heads in the G League before the Lakers brought him in on a 10-day contract, and now he’s earned a two-year deal with a team option for next season.
Bufkin is a bet on potential - a guard with pedigree and flashes of scoring ability. But if the Lakers had waited just a little longer, they might’ve had a shot at landing a more proven NBA-ready contributor in Sochan, especially on the defensive end.
Offensively, yes, there’s work to be done. But in the right system, with the right developmental support - say, under a coach who emphasizes shooting development - there’s still a path forward for him.
Now, LA will have to watch from the sidelines as teams like the Suns and Knicks pursue Sochan. Both were reportedly interested ahead of the trade deadline, and now they’ll have a shot to bring him in without giving up assets. For the Lakers, it could end up being one of those “what if” moments - a missed opportunity to add a young, switchable forward who, with the right guidance, could still turn into a valuable piece.
Time will tell where Sochan lands. But one thing’s clear: even with the flaws, his defensive skill set is enough to keep him in the league. And for teams looking to shore up their rotation heading into the stretch run, he might just be the kind of low-risk, high-reward pickup that pays off in April and May.