Jeremy Sochan Plans To Join Knicks After Clearing Waivers
Jeremy Sochan plans to join the Knicks once he clears waivers, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
The Knicks have an open roster spot and made some moves prior to the trade deadline to free up cap space. They have enough room below their second-apron hard cap to sign another player to the roster immediately, rather than having to wait until later in the season. By adding Sochan prior to the March 1, he’ll be playoff-eligible.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks points out (Twitter link), New York went from $148K below the second apron to $1,148,358 last week. That gives the Knicks enough room to sign Sochan to the prorated veteran minimum and remain under the apron. He’ll be a free agent again after the season.
Sochan was placed on waivers on Thursday by mutual agreement with the Spurs. According to Charania, 10 teams were interested in signing him following the waiver procedure. He had an expiring $7.1MM salary, which made it highly unlikely he’d be claimed.
The No. 9 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Sochan had fallen out of San Antonio’s rotation since December and was viewed as a change-of-scenery candidate ahead of last week’s trade deadline. The club reportedly gave his representatives permission to explore a potential move leading up to February 5. The Knicks were one of the teams who were reportedly interested in trading for him.
Sochan made 149 starts and averaged 27.3 minutes per game in his first three seasons with the Spurs, contributing 11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per contest during that time.
He could provide depth for the Knicks at a number of positions and his defensive prowess could come in handy during the playoffs. Sochan’s main weakness is his outside shooting, having made just 28.7% of his career three-pointers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Won’t Play In All-Star Contest; Fox Chosen As Replacement
Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t play in the All-Star Game on Sunday, according to the Bucks (Twitter link).
The news comes as no surprise, since he hasn’t played since suffering a right calf strain on Jan. 23. Antetokounmpo was chosen to play for World Team in the new three-team format.
Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox has been selected by commissioner Adam Silver as his replacement, the league announced (Twitter link), but Fox won’t join the World Team. Rather, he’ll play for the USA Stripes group while the Heat’s Norman Powell will be reassigned to the World Team. Powell has ties to Jamaica.
According to the Bucks, Antetokounmpo will help coach the All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday and then cheer on his World teammates on Sunday. The perennial All-Star, who is averaging 28 points, 10 rebounds and 5.6 assists this season, had been the subject of trade rumors leading up last week’s deadline.
His availability to Milwaukee, which currently sits 12th in the Eastern Conference, is another matter of intrigue. The Bucks could make a push for a play-in spot when he’s ready to go but it’s also possible they may limit his availability or even shut him down in order to improve their lottery chances.
Fox will be making his second All-Star appearance — his first came in 2023 with Sacramento. Fox is averaging 19.4 points, 6.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 32 minutes per game while appearing in 45 games.
He’ll give San Antonio, the team sitting in second place in the West, another All-Star representative along with Victor Wembanyama. The Stripes team will be coached by the Spurs’ Mitch Johnson.
Western Notes: Kerr, Braun, Barnes, Hinson
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr admits that tanking is a major concern for the league, but he doesn’t have any simple solutions, Nick Friedell of The Athletic writes.
“Ironically, the last few years, it seems like it has not been at the forefront like it is this year because of the play-in (tournament),” Kerr said. “More teams felt like they were in it. This year, it’s pronounced just because of the circumstances and where a lot of teams are — injuries, starting rebuilds, that sort of thing. I know the league is really concerned about it, as they should be. It’s not good for the fans, for the league itself. They’re considering everything. It’s a really tough issue.”
Kerr also sees the issue from the perspective of teams jockeying for lottery positions, knowing that one of the top picks in the 2026 draft could be a franchise-altering player.
“The bottom line is you kinda have to get lucky in the lottery,” Kerr said. “It’s what makes this issue so tricky, is that great players — Steph (Curry) and Tim Duncan, Wemby (Victor Wembanyama) — they’re not only team-changing, but they’re franchise-changing, for even beyond the scope of those guys’ careers. And so there’s only a handful of players that can do that, that are that valuable. And so teams are all clamoring for them. Sometimes, you don’t know who they are. Steph was the seventh pick. Giannis (Antetokounmpo) was the (15th) pick. So it’s not always the first couple guys, but more often than not, the first pick has an opportunity to be that guy, and that’s what creates this issue.”
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Nuggets guard Christian Braun has appeared in four games since returning from a left ankle sprain. Braun missed nearly two months of action previously before an aborted attempt to come back last month from the same ailment. He played in only three January games before the ankle issue grounded him again and realizes now he wasn’t at full strength last month. “I think the biggest (factor) was, ‘Can I jump in the air?’” he told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. “Obviously, they do all their tests (on an injury) and they do a really good job, but truthfully, I couldn’t jump. And if everybody has seen me play, I jump off my left leg a ton. So I’m just navigating, like, ‘Before I come back this next time, I need to make sure I can jump. I can run full speed and I can jump.’ It sounds really elementary and really basic, but that’s the truth. The explosion just wasn’t there.”
- Commissioner Adam Silver selected Brandon Ingram to replace Stephen Curry in the All-Star Game. Spurs forward Harrison Barnes felt teammates Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox were more worthy candidates. “We’re No. 2 in the West,” Barnes told Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express News. “Teams below us have two All-Stars. I don’t know a case where if you’re talking about having an impact on winning, either of them shouldn’t be selected and/or at least under consideration.”
- Blake Hinson‘s two-way contract with the Jazz is a two-year deal, per Spotrac contributor Keith Smith (Twitter link). The 26-year-old small forward is in the midst of a standout year in the G League, where he’s averaging 21.8 points and 5.8 rebounds with Portland’s affiliate, the Rip City Remix. Hinson signed his new contract on Monday.
Blazers Notes: Roster Decisions, Lillard, Moda Center, Future
It’s unlikely that the Trail Blazers will make any roster decisions until after the All-Star break, Joe Freeman of the Oregonian reports (subscription required).
Two-way players Sidy Cissoko (49 games) and Caleb Love (44) are near their respective 50-game limits and would need to be signed to standard contracts to remain eligible for NBA contests. Portland already has a full 15-man roster.
Rayan Rupert and Matisse Thybulle are the players most likely to go if one or both two-way players get a promotion, Freeman writes. It’s also possible the Blazers may sign a veteran player who clears waivers.
Here’s more on the Blazers:
- Damian Lillard was joking around with Michael Levine, a marketing executive for the NBA, about participating in the three-point contest at All-Star weekend. When one competitor dropped out, the joke became a reality, as Jason Quick of The Athletic details. Lillard has been on the mend all season from the Achilles tear he suffered with Milwaukee during last year’s playoffs. “All-Star Weekend needs stars,” Lillard said. “People want to see stars competing.” Lillard said a challenge like this is just what he needs during the drudgery of injury rehab. “I need some competition,” he added. “I’ve just been working out, not playing, so I need some type of competition. I just need a bump.”
- Renovations could be coming soon to Moda Center, the team’s longtime arena. Efforts to secure public funding for renovations formally ramped up on Monday with the introduction of a bill in the Oregon Senate that drew widespread support from government leaders, including Gov. Tina Kotek, Bill Oram of The Oregonian reports. The bill will be sent to the Senate Committee on Rules and have its first hearing on Wednesday morning.
- Will renovations for the arena or the impending ownership change assure that the Blazers will remain in Portland long-term? Writing for The Oregonian, Oram says he isn’t so sure that the NBA considers Portland a major-league city or that city leaders prioritize sports and are willing to make the necessary investments.
Collin Sexton Fined $35K For Inappropriate Gesture
In one of the most unusual fines in NBA history, Bulls guard Collin Sexton was docked $35K for making an inappropriate gesture on the playing court, the league office tweets.
The incident occurred with 1:31 remaining in the third quarter of the Bulls’ 123-115 loss to Brooklyn on Monday. Sexton missed a free throw, then made the second attempt. As the ball was being inbounded by the Nets, Sexton stared at the rim and made a middle finger gesture toward it.
Sexton was appearing in just his second game with Chicago after being traded by Charlotte last week. He finished the night with 21 points and five rebounds in 32 minutes.
The fine is only a small portion of Sexton’s $18,975,000 salary. He’s a free agent at the end of the season.
Clippers Notes: Deadline Moves, Investigation, Leonard, Zubac
The Clippers remade their team before the trade deadline and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank declared those moves were “difficult” but necessary, Janis Carr of the Orange County Register writes.
James Harden was dealt to Cleveland for a much younger guard, Darius Garland. Starting center Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown were traded to Indiana for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round draft picks and one second-rounder. Chris Paul, who was essentially in exile after being told he would no longer play with the club, was traded to Toronto.
“As hard as these moves are, we are extremely excited about where we’re going,” Frank said. “We want to win now. We believe we are going to win now, and we’re going to do it while getting younger. That doesn’t dismiss the impact specifically that James and Zu had, but in Darius, we’re getting a two-time All-Star.”
Even though the Clippers moved up to a play-in spot this winter after a dismal start, Frank felt the team’s ceiling wasn’t high enough with the previous roster.
“We were the oldest team in the NBA. We were in ninth place despite turning around, which we do not take lightly,” he said. “But we had to make some really, really hard and difficult decisions. As a player and coach, you don’t expect those guys to like it and with every major trade we’ve made here over the last 10 years, I’ve always had to face very disappointed players.”
Here’s more on the Clippers:
- The ongoing NBA investigation into possible salary cap violations regarding Kawhi Leonard had no impact on the decisions to revamp the roster, Frank insisted. “We haven’t learned anything more than we have in September,” he said, per ESPN News Services. “We know it’s out there, we know at some point there’ll be a decision made. We very much feel the same thing that we told you back in September, that we’re on the right side of this. It really doesn’t impact anything we do on a daily basis.” The investigation commenced after a report that the Clippers may have violated the NBA’s salary cap rules through a $28MM endorsement contract between Leonard and a now-bankrupt California-based sustainability services company called Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC.
- As for Leonard’s reaction to the roster moves, Frank said his star player is in step with the organization, Law Murray of The Athletic writes. “Kawhi’s a very bright guy, and understands in order to be sustainable, you have to make some really, really hard and difficult decisions,” Frank said. “We can continue and look forward to building with Kawhi while still acknowledging we’re going to need more. And we’ll go through every step of what that looks like, whether it’s free agency, whether it’s in trade, whether it’s in draft and how we build it. But Kawhi’s been a great partner, and I anticipate him being a great partner moving forward.”
- Trading away a quality center in his prime was the toughest move Frank made. Frank informed Zubac before the trade was finalized that a team was being extremely aggressive about acquiring him, but the veteran executive “was kind of hoping” they wouldn’t meet the Clippers’ threshold for making the deal, Beth Harris of The Associated Press reports. Zubac made a lengthy visit to the team’s practice facility afterward with teammates, coaches, staff and business operations employees saying goodbye. “There were a lot of tears,” Frank said. “It’s hard because we all know what Zu means to us.”
Pacific Notes: D. Green, DeRozan, Bufkin, J. Green
Warriors forward Draymond Green told Mark Medina of EssentiallySports.com that he thinks he still has two to four years left in the tank after this season.
“I feel great. I feel like I can go another two to four years. I think for me, I always want to try to compete at an elite level,” he said. “If I can’t do that, then it’s not as fun. But what I will say is that I have more left than I thought I would at this point. So as the years have gone by, the outlook on when I’ll be done has changed. I thought I’d get to year 12 and that I’d be breaking down. But by the time I got to year 12, I felt like I was still getting better.”
Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. claimed that he wasn’t discussing Green in any trade talks prior to last week’s deadline, contrary to previous reports. Green has a $27.7MM option on the final year of his contract — he’ll need to make a decision by June 29.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Kings forward DeMar DeRozan slammed a water bottle to the floor during a third-quarter timeout during a 13th consecutive loss on Monday, as Sacramento was blown out at home by New Orleans. Head coach Doug Christie understood DeRozan’s display of frustration, according to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “Totally,” Christie said. “I went down and sat with him for a second just to talk to him. His frustration is more about, first of all, ending a skid, and also after being so close that it could go either way in so many games, this is the first time in a minute where we had this kind of result where we weren’t really in a game. That frustration paired with always trying to play the right way, making sure we’re moving the basketball, getting into something … that was more his frustration than anything, but he’s good. Deebo is a consummate professional.”
- Kobe Bufkin earned a standard contract from the Lakers with his play for their G League team, the South Bay Lakers. The former Hawks guard is excited for the opportunity. “It means a lot,” he said, per Benjamin Royer of the South County Register. “Even dating back to draft night, I had conversations with the Lakers. Ended up going to the Hawks, ultimately, but they’ve always shown interest, always showed love – (GM Rob Pelinka) specifically.” Bufkin was signed to a two-year deal that includes a team option for 2026/27.
- Jalen Green played just his sixth game of the season on Saturday, contributing eight points in 17 minutes in the Suns’ loss to Philadelphia. Green, whose first year with the club has been marred by persistent hamstring issues, is still trying to gain trust in his body, he admitted to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “There’s still some trust factor in trusting everything, but that’s going to come with time,” Green said. “Playing and being unconscious and forgetting about injuries.”
Grizzlies Sign Lawson Lovering To 10-Day Deal
3:17 pm: Lovering’s 10-day contract is official, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter).
2:45 pm: The Grizzlies are signing 7’1” rookie center Lawson Lovering to a 10-day contract, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
Lovering has spent this season with the Memphis Hustle in the G League. In 24 games with the Hustle, he’s averaged 7.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 blocks in 26.8 minutes per game.
Lovering was signed by Memphis on an Exhibit 10 deal in early September. He played four preseason games for the Grizzlies and averaged 2.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 9.5 minutes before getting waived in mid-October. The 22-year-old Wyoming native went unselected in the 2025 draft after his final collegiate season at Utah.
He temporarily fills a frontcourt need for Memphis, which traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah last week. The Grizzlies opened up a spot on the 15-man roster on Friday when they waived Eric Gordon. With Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke currently recovering from injuries, Memphis didn’t have any healthy centers.
Because a 10-day contract must cover at least three games, Lovering’s deal will actually run for 12 days before expiring — the Grizzlies play twice before the All-Star break, then resume action on February 20 vs. Utah.
Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Youngblood, McCain, Jackson
The Nuggets currently have 13 players on standard contracts and will have to add at least one more by Feb. 19 to comply with NBA roster limits. Coach David Adelman indicated the front office and coaching staff are carefully weighing their options, Bennett Durando of the Denver Post writes.
“The conversations we’ve had have been interesting,” he said. “Because you could look at it like, ‘Well, we’ve had injuries at these spots. We should go get somebody that can take that spot if we got into a bad moment where someone couldn’t come back, if we’re in (the playoffs) at the end of the year.’ … And there’s the other part of you that says, ‘I don’t know who’d we play if we made the playoffs.’ And every team out West demands something different. Maybe you’re looking at, we could use more ball-handling. Maybe you’re looking at, we could use more size with the current injuries for the wing position.”
The Nuggets are reportedly interested in signing Lonzo Ball, who was waived after getting traded last week. Two-way player Spencer Jones, currently out with a concussion, is expected to be added to the standard roster once he’s cleared to play. The Nuggets are confident they’ll be able to add Jones and another player to the payroll without going back into the luxury tax, Durando adds.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- The Thunder’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, has added guard Chris Youngblood to its roster, the team announced (Twitter link). Youngblood was waived on Friday after holding one of Oklahoma City’s three two-way spots. Youngblood was used so frequently by the NBA team that he reached his limit of 50 games on the Thunder’s active roster last Wednesday in San Antonio. If OKC had wanted to continue playing him, he would’ve needed to be promoted to a standard contract.
- Jared McCain, who was acquired by the Thunder from the Sixers last week, spoke to Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (subscription required) of how he was already blending with his new team. McCain had five points in 14 minutes during his Thunder debut against the Rockets on Saturday.
- Jaren Jackson Jr. made his Jazz debut on Saturday, contributing 22 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals in 25 minutes against Orlando. He sat during crunch time, along with several other key players, as a means of “soft tanking.” However, Jackson is excited about his new team and its coach, Will Hardy. “He’s just getting to know me, I’m getting to know him, and we’re seeing how we can build this thing into something beautiful,” Jackson told Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune. “It’s been good conversations.”
NBA Increasingly Concerned About Tanking, Discussed Issue Last Month
The search for solutions to rampant tanking around the league was a prominent topic of discussion at the most recent NBA Competition Committee meeting in late January, Marc Stein of the Stein Line reports (Substack link).
Despite league efforts in recent years to discourage tanking, including flattening lottery odds, nearly one-third of the NBA’s 30 teams appear to be incentivized to lose as often as possible for the remainder of the season. That’s due to a top-heavy draft class, with potential franchise-altering talents Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa and Caleb Wilson available for the lottery winners.
The Jazz and the Wizards — both of whom made major trades last week — are especially motivated to finish in the bottom four to ensure that they can’t fall lower than eighth in May’s draft lottery. Both of those teams hold top-eight protected picks and in the last three lotteries, the team with the worst record fell to the No. 5 spot.
It’s noted around the league that the Spurs’ upswing coincides with their franchise landing top four picks in three straight drafts. Other executives noted to Stein that the Sixers’ tanking methods during the second half of last season landed them the No. 3 pick, which turned into VJ Edgecombe.
Commissioner Adam Silver will likely field numerous questions on the topic during his annual All-Star weekend press conference.
Here’s more from Stein:
- The Clippers received major interest in Kawhi Leonard in the final hour before last Thursday’s trade deadline after their decision to trade Ivica Zubac to Indiana became public knowledge. While they ultimately held onto their best player, potential suitors are expected to line up after the season to make offers for Leonard, who will have one year remaining on his contract and is extension eligible.
- While Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported that the Warriors were interested in signing point guard Lonzo Ball, they might pass on him because of health issues, Stein writes. NBA insider Chris Haynes reported over the weekend (Twitter link) that multiple teams are reviewing Ball’s medicals to determine whether to sign the veteran guard.