Spurs’ trade deadline plan for Jeremy Sochan is painfully obvious

With San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan having barely seen the floor in a month, his future with the team appears to be a foregone conclusion. Coach Mitch Johnson surprisingly banished Sochan from the rotation mere weeks after he made his season debut.

It was a questionable decision that has proven to be the right one. Without their Polish Prince, San Antonio hasn't missed a beat, with the Silver and Black wisely prioritizing spacing.

That has dramatically improved their offense without seeing much slippage defensively, both of which spell bad news for Sochan. He simply doesn't appear to have a future in San Antonio, though I fully believe that he could carve out a solid career elsewhere.

Him rarely playing, even in garbage time, hints that the Spurs are working on trading him, possibly with both his and his agent's input. That would be best for all involved, though San Antonio probably won't be able to get very much for Sochan alone.

Be that as it may, they can always get creative to turn Sochan into a key player on the trade market.

It's only a matter of time before the Spurs trade Jeremy Sochan

According to the Ringers' Zach Lowe, the Spurs are willing to attach a first-round pick or a pick swap to trade Sochan for a key rotation player. That makes sense with the Silver and Black looking like contenders this season.

If they can flip a non-rotation player and a first for a key contributor who will make them deeper and also shore up weaknesses, they have to make that trade, right? Right.

There are a few potential Spurs trade targets that I've discussed before. Namely Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr., Phoenix Suns' vet sharpshooter Royce O'Neale, and New Orleans Pelicans forwards Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III.

Of those four, Trent Jr. might be the cheapest to acquire, with him on an expiring contract and the Bucks possibly forced to rebuild midseason if Giannis Antetokoumpo demands a trade. O'Neale probably wouldn't cost the Spurs a first but instead multiple valuable second-round picks.

That is taking into account that he is one of the most accurate high-volume shooters in the NBA and is making less than the mid-level exception the next two years. Even so, he is 32 years old and in the twilight of his career.

As for the Pelicans' Jones and Murphy III, Murphy III might cost the Spurs two or three firsts in addition to Sochan, while Jones would presumably cost much less.

The Spurs must swing for the fences in a Sochan trade

That is considering he is having a disappointing season, with NBA analyst John Hollinger recently labeling it as such. He still holds plenty of value as a wing stopper who can knock down the occasional three.

If the Spurs offered up Sochan, the Atlanta Hawks pick swap—which would currently be the 12th pick in this year's NBA Draft and the three second-round Pelicans picks the Spurs own, that might be a strong enough offer to get a deal done.

Not only would it give Sochan a fresh start, but it would also allow San Antonio to dramatically upgrade on defense without having to burn multiple firsts. That would be a major win-win.