Trail Blazers waive Jeremy Sochan after four-game preseason audition

The Trail Blazers waived Jeremy Sochan on Saturday, ending the former lottery pick’s bid to make Portland’s opening-night roster after four preseason appearances.

Portland announced the move four days before its regular-season opener against Phoenix. The team said its roster now stands at 17 players, including three on two-way contracts. That leaves 14 players on standard contracts and room for one more.

The Trail Blazers’ announcement:

Sochan, 23, had signed a non-guaranteed deal in August. He played in every Portland preseason game, averaging six points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 12.3 minutes, according to Blazer’s Edge reporter Conor Bergin.

His shooting was efficient in that short audition. Sochan made 10 of 16 field-goal attempts, including four of five from three. The five outside attempts were a small sample, however, and Saturday’s decision sends him back to the market before he can turn that start into a regular-season role.

Another move after San Antonio and New York

The Spurs selected Sochan ninth overall out of Baylor in 2022. He spent his first three full seasons in San Antonio and made the All-Rookie second team in 2023. His early responsibilities included playing point guard and spending time as a smaller center as the Spurs experimented with his role.

His opportunities declined last season. San Antonio waived him in February, and he finished the year with the Knicks, appearing in 16 regular-season games. He remained with New York for its championship run before joining Portland during the summer.

Across 44 regular-season appearances for the Spurs and Knicks last season, Sochan averaged 3.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in 10.7 minutes, RotoWire reported. That was a smaller role than he held early in his career, when he averaged at least 11 points in each of his first three seasons.

His career averages are 9.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists over 228 regular-season games. He has made 28.6 percent of his career 3-point attempts. The strong preseason shooting therefore came after several seasons in which outside accuracy limited his offensive contribution.

Portland keeps a roster opening

The Blazers did not announce a corresponding signing or explain the decision in their brief release. The available standard contract gives them space to add another player as teams across the league finish their preseason cuts.

Sochan’s non-guaranteed contract had required him to earn a place through camp. He will become an unrestricted free agent Monday if he clears waivers, Hoops Wire reported. Portland opens Wednesday, October 21, against Phoenix at Moda Center.