The Philadelphia 76ers, like the rest of the league, are closing in on the trade deadline. As such, the rumor mill has finally churned faster despite no deals having been materialized yet for nearly a full month now. Having said that, the front office is capable of forcing itself into some existing sweepstakes. In fact, they may have just stumbled upon one thanks to a Western Conference powerhouse.
New reports indicate that the Spurs have now fully warmed up to the idea of trading Jeremy Sochan. The former lottery pick has bafflingly been relegated into a benchwarmer this season in San Antonio, which is an unfortunate development for one of the up-and-coming, all-around studs in the NBA.
While there has been a complete absence of linkages between the 76ers and the eccentric forward, the team could definitely use someone like him to rev up the roster. Taking into account his strengths and pitting it against the areas which need bolstering in Philly, Sochan and the 76ers could end up being a match made in heaven.
The 76ers could explore trading for Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan
Sochan, who is more known for his flashy hair colors and tendency to get under his opponent's skin, is better profiled as a young forward who has real two-way impact. Still only 22 years old, he remains an intriguing piece for teams in need of someone who is willing to do the dirty work on both ends, especially on defense.
The primary reason why he fell out of favor in San Antonio is due to his negligible presence beyond the paint on offense. However, unlike the Spurs, the 76ers are built in a way that they can still accommodate non-floor spacers like Sochan. It is still tenable to envision him being a reclamation project in Philly.
Sochan's best trait is his defense. The advanced stats love him, and he also passes the eye test quite easily. His numbers are down across the board, but that can be tossed up to him barely sniffing the floor. He is a very reliable one-on-one stopper, and he is disruptive enough to be a real asset in numerous defensive schemes.
Offensively, while his three-point shot has not developed just yet, his finishing in the paint has gotten better. Like Dominick Barlow (who was also his teammate in San Antonio), he is comfortable functioning as a connective piece. Gregg Popovich once played him as a full-on point guard, and while that resulted in a ton of losing, it accelerated his growth as a decision-maker with the ball in his hands.
If the 76ers desire a more promising piece than Jabari Walker or their other backup big men, they should absolutely consider going after Sochan. The Spurs probably won't ask much for him in return, and the 22-year-old is still young enough to factor into Philly's plans moving forward.