NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 19: Jeremy Sochan #20 of the New York Knicks looks on during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden on February 19, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
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The buyout market doesn’t generally bear fruit. It’s taking on role players that can have the occasional impact on a stretch run to the playoffs.
The New York Knicks are one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference that chose to put their eggs in the basket of Jeremy Sochan. The 22-year-old former high pick arrived with the bells and whistles of a free lottery ticket that could help bring an edge off of the bench. Fans overjoyed at how Leon Rose could poach a player with his qualifications after already acquiring Jose Alvarado at the trade deadline for a pretty reasonable cost.
The results, although short-lived, have been underwhelming. The very early signs could simply be the adjustment period needed for a role player to get used to a new environment, but it could also be the warning signs that were apparent before he first walked through the doors of Madison Square Garden.
3-Point Shooting
This can be an overblown category. Shooting is important but it can be combatted by other skills that can help mitigate the importance of being able to space the floor. Passing, movement, gravity and where you’re positioned can all be monumental factors to consider when evaluating the shooting of a player.
It still holds weight, especially when it is a non-center that is on the perimeter looking to make an impact. Teams will leave Sochan open. Mike Brown seems hesitant to want to roll Sochan out as anything other than a forward. For that reason, opportunities will present themself for Sochan to unleash from beyond the 3-point arc.
A perfect example can be found in the game that the team played against the Houston Rockets on Saturday night. The Rockets blitzed Jalen Brunson at the point of attack, which left a man open. Kevin Durant shuffled inside to prevent Mitchell Robinson from throwing down an easy alley-oop dunk so Sochan found himself stationed on an island when Brunson slung it to him on the wing.
No player even attempted a close out on the 22-year-old and he bricked it off of the back iron before Robinson rebounded it for an easy two points. It is one shot and that one shot is not representative of a larger sample, but it can be representative when that sample includes nearly 500 shots and a 28.7 shooting percentage from three throughout his NBA career. He has never been a capable shooter and it would be malpractice for the Knicks to rely on him in any way to be that.
Defense
This has been the calling card of Sochan. He brings a versatility and tenacity that has been well regarded during his time with San Antonio and throughout college. The problem is that he hasn’t shown much of that skill set during his short tenure with the team.
A perfect example is the game against the Chicago Bulls. He had a number of plays in which he seemed to be trying to make some type of impact on the ball, but instead gave opponents an open look at the basket. One particular play he helped off of his man to help prevent the driver from getting to the basket. But the problem was that Mikal Bridges had good positioning and didn’t need that level of help. For that reason Guerschon Yabusele was wide open and canned an open look from three.
On one of the next possessions he was hanging in the corner waiting for a pass to kick out to him. After the Bulls corralled the long rebound he jogged up the court to help with transition defense. Unfortunately, it was too late and Jalen Smith was able to earn an easy basket. This was technically Karl-Anthony Towns primary assignment, but it was clearly a situation in which Sochan should have been back sooner to help defend the basket. For a player that is just playing sparingly it is completely unacceptable to provide this level of effort.
Mo Diawara
Diawara was providing tangible skills that made sense for the Knicks moving forward. He had moments against the Boston Celtics a couple of weeks ago in which he was able to limit the production of Jaylen Brown who scored 25 points on 26 shots. His ability to help off the ball along with utilizing his size makes him an excellent bench piece that can occasionally soak up minutes for injured starters.
Sochan played a mere 11 minutes against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, but Diawara didn’t play a single minute. Since Sochan arrived in New York, Diawara hasn’t played more than 10 minutes in any of the matches. Before his arrival, the rookie was averaging nearly 15 minutes per game during a nine game span.
Playing Sochan has the potential to be a net positive, but right now the youngster is in a funk that has lasted the whole year. The Knicks can choose to continue the experiment, but it could come at the cost of a developing player and a spot in the standings.