NEW YORK (AP) — Jeremy Sochan plans to sign with the New York Knicks once he clears waivers, a person with knowledge of the details said Thursday.
The forward will have a new home quickly after the San Antonio Spurs agreed to cut him Wednesday so he could look for another team with a chance for more playing time.
His plan to join the Knicks was confirmed to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no move can be made yet. It was first reported by ESPN.
The Spurs drafted Sochan with the No. 9 pick in the 2022 draft and he averaged 10.4 points with San Antonio. But he had lost his spot in the rotation this season, appearing in just 28 of their 53 games and scoring 4.1 points in 12.8 minutes per game.
The Spurs agreed to waive Sochan after they couldn’t find a trade for him before last week’s deadline.
“We were all very aware of his desire to be in the rotation, given more of an opportunity than he had, especially recently,” coach Mitch Johnson said before the Spurs played at Golden State on Wednesday. “We wanted to do right by him and make sure that he had that opportunity before the year was over.”
Sochan thanked and said goodbye to San Antonio in a post on social media Thursday.
“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,” he wrote. “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.”
Sochan, known for his often colorful hairstyles, will join a Knicks team that has been trying to fill in bench pieces around its starting five. They acquired Jose Alvarado from New Orleans in a deadline deal and he scored a season-high 26 points on Wednesday in a victory over Philadelphia.
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