SAN ANTONIO (Oct. 23, 2023) – The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have exercised their third-year team option on forward Jeremy Sochan and guards Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley for the 2024-25 season.
Sochan is entering his second year with the Spurs after being named to the 2022-23 NBA All-Rookie Second Team last season. Playing in 56 games where he averaged 11.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 26.0 minutes, Sochan was also selected to the 2023 Rising Stars roster, making him the first Spurs rookie to be named to the team since Keldon Johnson in 2021 and the 10th in franchise history. Drafted by San Antonio in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft (ninth overall), Sochan scored in double-figures in 35 games last season – the most games in a season with 10+ points by any Spurs rookie since Gary Neal in 2010-11 (40).
Branham comes into his second season with the Silver and Black after appearing in 66 games last year and averaging 10.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 23.5 minutes. Branham led all rookies in points scored in the month of February, registering 185 total points and averaging 16.8 points per game, becoming the first Spurs rookie to score 185+ points in a single month since Neal’s 189 points in March of 2011. Branham made the most field goals (75), tied for the highest FG% (.500) and ranked second in most three-pointers made in a single month (22) amongst all rookies. Branham was selected by San Antonio in the first round (20th overall) of the 2022 NBA Draft.
Wesley starts his sophomore season with the Silver and Black after appearing in 37 games last year, averaging 5.0 points, 2.7 assists and 2.2 rebounds in 18.1 minutes. After being selected by San Antonio in the first round (25th overall) of the 2022 NBA Draft, the Notre Dame alum also spent time with the Austin Spurs and averaged 20.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.0 steals in 11 games. In the NBA 2K24 Summer League in Las Vegas in July, Wesley appeared in five games and averaged 12.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 29.1 minutes.
The Spurs draft class trio of 2022, featuring Sochan, Branham and Wesley, marked the first time in San Antonio franchise history that the Silver and Black made three first round picks in the same year.