The Portland Trail Blazers made another addition to their roster over the weekend, signing former San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks forward Jeremy Sochan to a one-year deal. Standing at 6’8, Sochan technically plays power forward but he’s capable of defending all but the tallest players on the floor. In his first three NBA seasons, Sochan averaged 11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 27.3 minutes per game. During his fourth year he was crowded out by the Spurs’ young stars, traded to the Knicks,
and played sparingly on his way to a championship ring.
Moving to the Blazers, Sochan takes a large downgrade in team aspirations. You can’t get higher than the two participants in the 2026 NBA Finals. The Blazers aren’t close to that level. But Sochan joins a team that needs his services, unlike the recent-vintage Knicks or Spurs.
The carrot for him is a one-season shot at relevance, playing for a team that fields Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija at the forward positions, but not much other proven talent. Sochan will have an open door to a utility reserve role and all the minutes he can chew on. That will give him a fair shot at earning his next contract with teams attracted to him rather than trying to pawn him off.
The Blazers, meanwhile, get forward depth without commitment…another value move in a summer filled with nothing but. Portland isn’t bargain shopping, but they’re discount hunting. Few players come with as big of a margin markdown as Sochan on a one-year lease.
If you want to know what Portland’s new acquisition brings to the table, take a look at this video compilation:
In it, you’ll find a representative sample of Sochan defending guards and bigs, on the perimeter and inside. Forget the names on the other side. It hardly matters. Coaches send Sochan to guard whomever they need slowed down most. Star or scrub, he’s going to be on the job.
Instead, look at his foot and hand motion. Watch his sneakers. It’s like a dance. His upper body is balanced, in position, almost calm and still. Like a duck above the surface of the water, you’d never know he was working. But underneath, those feet are in constant motion. Look at how his shoes glide in angles, not reacting to the opponent’s moves in small increments but cutting sharply into the path of the ballhandler, anticipating where he wants to go and getting there first. Then look at the hands: out, up, ready. It’s pretty much the way you teach it.
This is exactly why coaches send Sochan onto the floor against hot scorers. He’s Camara-esque in that way. The obvious benefit for Portland is that now the defensive attack doesn’t end when Camara goes to the bench. The Blazers can start Deni and Tou, then send in Jeremy to pick up full-court while one of the starters takes a break. It’s instant, constant defense.
There’s a reason Sochan is available, though. Offense explains most of it. He’s a reasonably efficient scorer at the rim, averaging 68.3% within three feet for his career. Outside of that range, his effectiveness falls off. His three-point percentage last year stood at 24.4%, a personal low against a 28.6% career average. He’s not going to help the Blazers’ woes at the arc. In fact, he’s likely to increase them. (By comparison, Camara and Avdija average 37.0% and 31.8% respectively last season. And that wasn’t near enough.) Charitably, Sochan is an opportunistic scorer. Practically speaking, he’s a near non-factor offensively at this point.
That said, opportunity for everything awaits the 23-year-old forward. Sochan can be a whirlwind. He’ll start by cleaning up the defensive end for a guard corps that’s weak in that department. The Blazers need a tornado to sweep the floor. Sochan is that kind of guy. But he’s going to get opportunities to rebound, run, hit outlet threes, and cut to the hoop through defenses stacked against guys named Lillard and Morant. This is the ultimate “prove it” season for Sochan. If he does that in a Blazers uniform, it’s going to be a huge benefit.
Jeremy Sochan isn’t likely to be the difference between success and failure for the Blazers this year. He’s not a water-to-wine guy. Instead he’ll intensify their approach the same way adding more lemonade powder to the picnic jug makes the taste stronger. Considering the part of the depth chart he’s shoring up, that’s exactly what the Blazers need. The fact that he’s low-cost and comes with no strings attached makes this the classic 2026 Portland Trail Blazers signing. It’s likely to be good for all parties involved without raising any eyebrows. Given the investment, you couldn’t ask for much better.
