San Antonio Spurs forward expected to get significant contract extension

There's only about one month left before the conclusion of this dismal season for the San Antonio Spurs. They'll want to put this year behind them as soon as possible. They say God gives his greatest battles to his strongest warriors, and that's all well and good, but the Silver and Black have to be exhausted.

While the off-season will be a reprieve for everyone, it will be gratifying for only one: Jeremy Sochan. Next year is the final year of his rookie deal, so fans should expect the front office to get ahead of the market by paying him early and locking up the Polish Prince long-term.

Sochan's contract extension should pay him $20-23 million per year

It's difficult to know what the exact numbers would be, but this is the realm I'd expect for the former Baylor Bear. It's more than Keldon Johnson but less than Devin Vassell. That number would put him above a guy like Jusuf Nurkic but keep him below DeMar DeRozan. It's the Dillon Brooks- Aaron Gordon range.

Sochan is San Antonio's best perimeter defender. He takes on all of the major wing matchups and more than holds his own when he does. Some of the best players in the NBA have struggled with Jeremy as their primary defender, and the Spurs need a guy like that.

Of course, he'll need to continue to work on his offensive game, but his shot is coming around in a major way. The Oklahoma-born hooper shot 26.5% from three over his first 20 games of the season, but in his last 20 games, that number has risen to 39.1%. He's only shooting 1.2 attempts per game, but he's making the shots. His hot streak has elevated his season percentage to 33.3%.

In his rookie season, Sochan shot 24.8% from deep, and it was 30.8% last year. His point average per game hasn't increased, but his efficiency has. This kid has done everything asked of him. They've played him out of position the most out of any player on the roster. First, the coaches asked Jeremy to play the point guard position, and this season, they've asked him to play center.

He's started, and he's come off the bench. There are games when he's gotten several touches and others with hardly any opportunities. But Sochan is a lunch-pale guy. He doesn't complain. He just works hard and does whatever the team needs to win. When he switched his free throw form to the one-handed motion, everyone should have known the type of player the Spurs had.

He doesn't care what anyone thinks of him. The change improved his efficiency from the line, so he stuck with it. He defends his teammates, defends at a high level, and works tirelessly to improve his game while being the Swiss army knife the team needs, adjusting to any task. They can't give him $20 million fast enough, and he deserves every penny.