The New York Knicks had a special kind of advantage over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals. The Spurs waived their former lottery pick, Jeremy Sochan, after the trade deadline to clear a roster spot for center Mason Plumlee — who eventually signed a deal for the rest of the season.
When the Knicks wound up matching up against the Spurs in the postseason, Sochan told reporters he'd do his best to put his experience playing on the other side to use. The 23-year-old forward revealed that persistent physicality was the best way to defend 7-foot-5 superstar Victor Wembanyama, contending it would force him to take plays off.
On Saturday, Sochan agreed to a non-guaranteed deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. The young forward will compete for a roster spot in training camp. In the case that he makes the roster, the Knicks — even if just to a small degree — will need to be aware that there's a young defender in Portland who knows their playbook, too.
Tyler Nickel seems ready to take over for Sochan in one way off the court
The Spurs waived Sochan shortly after the trade deadline, clearing the way for the Knicks to add him on the buyout market. The fifth-year forward was two years younger than Tyler Kolek when he joined the team, despite having three more years of NBA experience than the second-year guard.
The two quickly became friends, creating viral moments (whether fans knew it was them, or not) and sharing laughs on the bench throughout the rest of the season.
With Sochan headed out west, the Knicks project to lose at least half of their comedic young duo. Incoming rookie Tyler Nickel, however, might have them covered. The sharpshooter out of Vanderbilt already went viral at the draft combine for his curveball answer to a media member, and showed enough at Summer League to pique even more of his new front office's interest.
New York is the only team in the NBA without a single player signed to a two-way deal, leaving room for Windhorstian speculation that something is afoot. Especially with the need for a third-string center still glaring from the very end of their depth chart, the current likelihood that either one of their rookies gets a full-time roster spot seems small.
The Knicks could certainly create a need for Kayil by dealing Kolek to pick up that center depth, but Nickel would still be without a deal. A two-way contract wouldn't allow him to spend the entirety of the regular season with the Knicks that play home games at Madison Square Garden. He would, however, likely be able to provide some comedic relief when he was up with the NBA squad.
As far as we know, Nickel doesn't have any inside information on any Knick rivals. He could, however, help supplant Sochan's impact off the court — which may have gone underrated as he helped alleviate some of the pressure of New York's midseason sludge.
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