Knicks forward Jeremy Sochan celebrates during the championship parade
Knicks forward Jeremy Sochan celebrates during the championship parade
Jeremy Sochan is headed to Portland on a one-year deal, per ESPN’s Shams Charania, and the Knicks are losing more than a name at the back of a championship roster.
Sochan was never going to carry an offense. He was useful because he could make a lineup less predictable. A switchable forward who can rebound, defend bigger players for a stretch and survive smaller matchups is not easy to replace once the games turn weird in April.
Sochan arrived in New York with a strange career arc already behind him. He averaged 9.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists across his first four NBA seasons, then found a place on a title team without being asked to become something he was not.
The Knicks did not lose a star. They lost an option, and contenders tend to notice those losses when a foul problem or a bad matchup forces a coach to search the bench.
There is no need to panic over one departure. The title defense will be built around a much larger core. Still, a roster can be great and have fewer answers than it did a month ago.
Knicks forward Jeremy Sochan waves to fans during the championship parade
Jeremy Sochan waves to fans during the Knicks championship parade. Credit: Brenden Willsch-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Sochan gave the Knicks a little lineup freedom. He could play next to a traditional big, slide up in a smaller group or spend a few possessions taking an assignment that a scoring guard had no business drawing.
I would not sell that as losing an All-Star. It is losing the guy who makes a second unit less fragile. That role is boring until a playoff series makes it the only thing anyone is talking about.
Portland is betting that a clean year can help Sochan reset his value. The Knicks are betting their returning veterans can cover the minutes without missing his particular brand of flexibility.
New York does not need to sign another player with the same measurements and call the job done. The next bench addition has to fill a real use case, whether that means more on-ball defense, a sturdier rebounder or someone who can keep the offense organized when the starters sit.
The good news is that the Knicks know exactly what kind of player helped them win. The bad news is that Sochan already knew where all the bodies were supposed to be. That familiarity is gone now.