The Phoenix Suns have had a size issue in their series versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, although one rookie is doing all he can to help in that area.
If you cast your mind back to the trade deadline however, improving across the front line was not a top priority for the front office. Signing Jeremy Sochan seemingly was.
Sochan nowhere to be seen for Knicks in postseason
But with the benefit of hindsight, landing the 22-year-old actually would have created more problems than it would have solved, particularly against the Thunder.
Looking at how this series has developed, and there is no way Sochan could have caused Oklahoma City any kind of issues.
Would you want the #Suns to sign Jeremy Sochan now that he is available? (📸 Ben Leibowitz)https://t.co/8wBsB9I3R6
— Valley of the Suns (@ValleyoftheSuns) February 11, 2026
In fact with the New York Knicks down 2-1 versus the Atlanta Hawks right now, Sochan has failed to register a single minute of action.
Even when head coach Mike Brown elected to go small late in Game 3 (a dreadful idea it turned out with CJ McCollum hitting the go-ahead basket over Miles McBride), he did not turn to Sochan.
One of the best parts of his game as a forward is that he can outrebound bigger guys, while also having the mobility to disrupt away from the basket as well.
For coach Brown to not even think to call on him with the series getting out of hand for New York is a problem, with even Landry Shamet and all of his defensive inefficiencies trusted more.
Looking at this another way, and suppose Shamet had actually finished the regular season strong in Phoenix, and made head coach Jordan Ott's postseason rotation. What then?
He is a free agent this offseason and the Suns already have a tricky situation to solve with both Collin Gillespie and Mark Williams in line for new deals.
There wouldn't have been space for Sochan as well, although if he'd played so well and made the front office go with him over Gillespie for example, that could have been disastrous. Then again, maybe not.
Missing out on Sochan was not done by design, but it is the little slice of luck that the organization needed as they head into an important offseason.
They're better than everybody expected and need to add the right players to again push for the playoffs next season.
It has never been clearer that Sochan would not have fit the bill, and he looks set to continue sitting on the Knicks' bench.
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