Spurs former lottery pick cited as potential trade candidate

Currently sitting in third place in the Western Conference with a 27-13 record, the San Antonio Spurs find themselves in an intriguing position ahead of the trade deadline. They can either stand pat with the core and continue to ride things out, or part with some assets in a win-now move that could aid them in a deep playoff run. 

The Spurs are more than capable of executing a trade, as they are armed with a deep pool of assets. However, the question is whether they want to accelerate their timeline following a strong first half of the 2026 campaign. In the event they do decide to seek a roster upgrade in the next three weeks, one former lottery pick has been cited as someone the front office will likely part with.

Jeremy Sochan named trade candidate for Spurs 

As trade season rages on in the NBA, the people at ESPN broke down one player from each team to watch who could be moved. While breaking down the Spurs, Kevin Pelton went with fourth-year forward Jeremy Sochan. 

"A team with more shooting might be able to support Sochan's defensive versatility and the high-percentage finishing he showed last season, when he made 59% of his 2-point attempts," Pelton wrote. "Meanwhile, San Antonio can use the expiring contracts of Sochan and journeyman Kelly Olynyk to upgrade in advance of what the team hopes is a deep playoff run."

With his role being greatly diminished this season, Sochan's production has taken a big hit. Across 25 appearances, he's averaging a career-low 4.5 PPG along with 2.9 RPG and 1.1 APG.

Sochan's minimal production certainly hurts his trade value, but the Spurs could still garner some sort of positive return for him. Since joining the NBA, he's shown the ability of being productive around the rim and displayed great versatility on the defensive end. Still only 22-years-old, Sochan has shown enough potential that teams would be willing to take a flier on him if he were to be made available.

Now viewed as a dark horse finals threat in the Western Conference, only time will tell if the Spurs decide to make a move that inches them closer to title contention.