DALLAS — Jeremy Sochan has another opportunity to prove himself in the NBA. Sort of.
Four months after winning an NBA championship with the New York Knicks, Sochan was selected No. 1 overall by the Texas Legends in Saturday's NBA G League Draft. The 23-year-old forward will begin his fifth professional season trying to crack a main roster.
It likely isn't what Sochan envisioned when the San Antonio Spurs selected him ninth overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, but, for now, it's his ticket back.
"Our directive here is to find and develop players in a competitive environment," Legends general manager Terry Sullivan said Saturday afternoon at American Airlines Center. "We think Jeremy is a great fit. (He) hecks all the boxes we need in a guy."
The Legends — who coordinated with Dallas Mavericks coach Dusty May and president Masai Ujiri when selecting Sochan — cited the forward's athleticism and defensive versatility, among other qualities, as their reasons for excitement. Mitch Johnson and the Spurs, who once saw those same qualities, have maintained their support for him.
"Just happy for him, that he has another opportunity to continue to grow and develop," Johnson said prior to the Spurs' 122-106 win over the Mavericks. "Glad that he's with a great organization. Them taking him at that spot means they are heavily invested in him."
Sochan's journey to Frisco began with a diminishing role in San Antonio. After averaging double figures in each of his first three NBA seasons, the forward's minutes decreased significantly as the Spurs restructured their rotation around Victor Wembanyama.
San Antonio eventually granted Sochan and his representatives permission to explore other opportunities ahead of the February trade deadline. When a suitable trade failed to materialize, the Spurs waived him. On Feb. 13, Sochan signed with the Knicks.
Sochan averaged 2.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in 16 regular-season appearances before playing sparingly throughout the Knicks' championship run, which lasted through June.
In Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Sochan played just eight seconds as New York defeated his former team. Still, returning to Frost Bank Center carried significance.
"There's a lot of emotions," Sochan told The Mirror US after the game. "I started here. This place means a lot to me. I love the fans, I love my ex-teammates. It feels surreal."
The Knicks declined to re-sign Sochan during the offseason. He subsequently agreed to a one-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers in August, but was waived on Oct. 17 — three days before the start of regular season — after going through training camp and preseason.
That opened the door for Texas, who traded up for the No. 1 pick in the G League Draft at the end of September. At the time, they didn't know Sochan would be available.
"You're always monitoring training camp battles around the league to see who might spring free," Sullivan said. "When he became available, it was a really exciting opportunity for us."
The Mavericks' interest extends beyond their G League affiliate, according to Sullivan, who said Dallas' front office was also "very excited" about the selection.
Sochan joins a Legends training camp roster that includes Adam Flagler, who spent training camp with San Antonio in 2025. The pair previously shared a locker room before Flagler was waived ahead of the regular season. Other than that, he's in unfamiliar territory.
Whether Sochan's latest stop eventually leads him back to an NBA roster remains uncertain. But for a player who has already experienced winning a championship and falling on the wrong side of a roster crunch, there's not much that will surprise him anymore.
"No matter how I got here, it's a blessing," Sochan said after the Finals.
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