NBA Trade Deadline: Spurs refuse 2 French players!

The San Antonio Spurs recently rejected a trade proposal from the New York Knicks concerning Jeremy Sochan. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Knicks had proposed a package centered on French players Guerschon Yabusele and Pacome Dadiet in exchange for the 22-year-old forward. Despite the theoretical interest of reuniting French players around Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs declined the offer for a specific reason: money, not talent.

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The main sticking point concerns Yabusele’s player option of $5.78 million for the 2026-2027 season. While this amount isn’t huge by NBA standards, the Spurs have maintained strict discipline regarding their long-term financial flexibility in building around Wembanyama. Accepting a player option for a veteran who hasn’t produced consistently this season goes against this approach.

Yabusele’s struggles reinforce San Antonio’s reluctance

Yabusele’s disappointing performances in New York reinforced the Spurs’ reluctance. After posting 11.0 points and 5.6 rebounds last season with the Philadelphia 76ers with good shooting percentages, his production collapsed with the Knicks. This year, he’s only averaging 2.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in limited minutes, shooting 39.3% from the field and 29.4% from 3-point range.

The Knicks proposed a trade package of Guerschon Yabusele & Pacome Dadiet to the Spurs in return for Jeremy Sochan.

The Spurs declined as they were not willing to take on Yabusele’s $5.8M player option for next season.

per @MikeAScotto pic.twitter.com/ajhDjmxRjV

— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) January 31, 2026

The addition of Pacome Dadiet to the trade wasn’t enough to change this equation. The sophomore hasn’t met initial expectations, posting only 0.4 points and 0.6 rebounds in 3.2 minutes per game over 18 appearances this season.

For the Spurs, Sochan remains a valuable developmental piece. At just 22 years old, he posted 11.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists last season with 53.5% shooting. This season, despite injuries and reduced playing time, his stats have dropped to 4.2 points and 2.7 rebounds.

PLAYER PROFILE

Jeremy SOCHAN

Position(s): Power Forward

Height: 203 cm

Age: 22 years (05/20/2003)

Nationality:

2025-2026 Stats / NBA

PTS

4.3

#373

REB

2.7

#292

AST

1

#342

With a record of 32 wins and 15 losses, the Spurs are no longer a rebuilding team but a competitive squad. Sochan fits perfectly into this timeline, unlike the pieces proposed by the Knicks. With Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Julian Champagnie all eligible for extensions in the next two seasons, keeping financial options open remains a massive priority for the San Antonio Spurs.