Spurs’ Sochan out for season opener with wrist sprain
Jeremy Sochan won’t be suiting up when the San Antonio Spurs face Dallas on October 22. An MRI confirmed the forward sprained his left wrist during Wednesday’s practice, adding to his injury woes.
The timing couldn’t be worse. Sochan was just getting back into the swing of things after a calf strain he picked up while practicing with Poland’s national team in August.
That earlier injury already forced him to miss the entire preseason and kept him from representing his country at EuroBasket.
And he’s not the only Spur on the sidelines.
De’Aaron Fox will also miss the opener as he works through a hamstring strain. The good news? Both players should be back by the second or third game of the season.
Sochan, the ninth overall pick in the 2022 draft from Baylor, has become a key piece for San Antonio despite his young career.
He’s averaged 11.4 points and 6.1 rebounds across his 184 NBA games.
Last season showed real progress for the 6-foot-8 wing. While maintaining his scoring average of 11.4 points, he grabbed a career-high 6.5 rebounds per game and shot a much-improved 53.5% from the field.
His role shifted midway through last season, coming off the bench in all but one game since January 23.
That didn’t stop him from making an impact. Against Philadelphia in March, he exploded for 23 points on red-hot 64.7% shooting in a Spurs victory.
Sochan has until October 20 to sign an extension with the team.
Spurs lock in young stars for future
In more positive news, San Antonio exercised their 2026-27 team options on Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.
Wembanyama, their towering 7-foot-5 centerpiece, will earn $16.86 million next season in the final year of his rookie deal. He’ll be eligible for what’s sure to be a massive extension next summer.
Castle’s option guarantees him $10.01 million for the 2026-27 season, with the team also holding a $12.67 million option for the following year.
Before his rookie season was cut short in February, Wembanyama was on track for Defensive Player of the Year. Despite playing just 46 games, he still led the entire league in blocks.
Castle made his own splash as a rookie. He topped all first-year players in points (1,190), field goals (423), and steals (74) last season.
The 6-foot-6 guard was a playmaking machine, recording 17 games with six or more assists.
His impressive debut earned him Rookie of the Year honors, making it back-to-back years a Spur has claimed the award. Castle averaged 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists while playing in 81 games.
