Jeremy Sochan Waived by Portland, Leaving the 2022 No. 9 Pick a Free Agent Monday

Photo: NBA.com. Jeremy Sochan, official league headshot.

Jeremy Sochan made all four threes he took in two preseason games against Golden State, and Portland waived him on Saturday anyway. The Trail Blazers announced the move Saturday, and because Sochan was on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal, the 2022 No. 9 pick becomes an unrestricted free agent Monday if nobody claims him, per Hoops Rumors.

Marc Stein posted the same news seconds later.

Four games, one open seat

In the Oct. 7 opener at Golden State, Sochan scored 10 points in nine minutes on 4-for-6 shooting, hit both of his threes and finished plus-12, second best on the team, per Sports Illustrated's Blazers site. Against the London Lions on Oct. 12 he played 20 minutes and put up eight points, eight rebounds, two assists and a steal. Tuesday against Sacramento he got seven minutes and went scoreless. Friday in San Francisco he played 12 minutes, scored six and made two more threes.

Hoops Rumors totals it at 6.0 points and 3.8 rebounds in 12.2 minutes a night on .625 shooting from the field.

And Portland had the room. The release leaves the Blazers with 17 players under contract, 14 on standard deals and three on two-way contracts. Hoops Rumors points out that Portland could have converted Sochan to a standard non-guaranteed deal, kept him as the 15th man and stayed well under the luxury tax. Hoops Rumors notes the forward depth behind starters Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara is thin. Instead, the outlet writes, Portland looks set to open the season with an open spot on the 15-man roster.

Career numbers and Spurs years

Sochan is a career 28.6% three-point shooter across 228 regular season games, with averages of 9.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists on .470 shooting overall.

The Spurs drafted him ninth in 2022 and spent three and a half seasons moving the 6-foot-8 forward around, including stretches at point guard and as a small-ball center. He scored at least 11 a game in each of his first three seasons.

From Game 5 to the waiver wire

Sochan fell out of San Antonio's rotation in 2025-26 and was granted his release after the trade deadline. New York signed him. He played 6.9 minutes a game across 16 regular season appearances and 3.3 minutes a game in eight playoff games, and his new team beat his old one for the title. In the 94-90 Game 5 clincher over the Spurs on June 14, he logged eight seconds, per the Blazers' player page on NBA.com.

On Aug. 1, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Sochan had agreed to a one-year deal in Portland. Four months after the ring, he is 23 and looking for his fourth NBA team.

What Monday decides

Every team gets a shot at him on waivers first. If nobody claims him, he can sign anywhere as a free agent on Monday.

Sources

• Portland Trail Blazers on X: Trail Blazers waive Jeremy Sochan. Oct. 17, 2026.
• Marc Stein on X: The Trail Blazers have waived Jeremy Sochan. Oct. 17, 2026.
• Hoops Rumors: Trail Blazers waive Jeremy Sochan (Exhibit 9, unrestricted free agent Monday if unclaimed, 17 under contract with 14 standard and three two-way, 6.0 points and 3.8 rebounds in 12.2 minutes on .625 shooting in four preseason games, 228 career games at 9.9/5.4/2.5 and .470/.286/.725, 16 Knicks games at 6.9 minutes and eight playoff games at 3.3 minutes, thin depth behind Avdija and Camara, could have kept him as 15th man under the tax). Oct. 17, 2026.
• Sports Illustrated, Blazers On SI: preseason game log (10 points, 4-for-6, 2-for-2 from three, plus-12 in nine minutes vs. Golden State | 8 and 8 in 20 minutes vs. London Lions | scoreless in seven minutes vs. Sacramento | six points, 2-for-2 from three in 12 minutes at Golden State), one-year non-guaranteed deal, Knicks title. Oct. 17, 2026.
• NBA.com, Blazers player page: one-year deal per Shams Charania of ESPN on Aug. 1 | eight seconds in the 94-90 Game 5 win over the Spurs on June 14.