Once it was revealed that the former top 10 NBA Draft pick Jeremy Sochan was going to clear waivers and sign with the New York Knicks, the young veteran took to social media to show his excitement for his eventual move to the Big Apple.
Sochan shared a viral TikTok video of somebody singing Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ ‘Empire State of Mind’ in New York City. His caption was a smirking emoji. The post generated over one million views in an hour.
Before his “Welcome to New York” post on X, Sochan took the time to pen a message to the city of San Antonio.
“To the city of San Antonio… When I was drafted, I didn’t realize how quickly this would feel like home,” the forward wrote.
“I’ve moved around a lot throughout my life, and this is the longest I’ve been in the same place since I was 15 years old. Through the ups and downs, I learned a lot, kept growing, and always stayed true to myself. This community and the fans embraced me from day one! It’s bigger than basketball and I’m forever grateful. I’ll always have love for San Antonio! Everything happens for a reason & time will tell…”
The 22-year-old entered the NBA after spending a season at Baylor. He appeared in 30 games during the 2021-2022 NBA season and averaged 9.2 points and 6.5 rebounds in 30 matchups.
The Spurs selected Sochan in the first round, ninth overall. He would play a role immediately, averaging 26 minutes in 56 games as a rookie. Sochan’s career began with a starting role. By 2024-2025, he was in the starting five just 23 out of 54 games. This season, Sochan came off the bench for each of the 28 games he appeared in.
And after averaging over 25 minutes of action through his first three seasons, Sochan saw the court for just 12.8 minutes per game. He was having a career-low year, producing just 4.1 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.
The Spurs were open to taking calls on Sochan, but they didn’t make any deals before the deadline. Roughly one week later, the Spurs agreed to waive the young veteran. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Sochan had around 10 teams interested. The Knicks clearly stood out.
Sochan joins the veteran guard Jose Alvarado as one of their newest additions. Alvarado has appeared in three games, averaging 14.0 points, 3.7 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. All is well for the former New Orleans Pelicans standout.
Now, the Knicks hope they can get stellar production out of the young Sochan as well. He leaves San Antonio after 212 games. Sochan averaged 10.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists during his time with the Spurs.