Ty Jerome had a breakout season for the Cleveland Cavaliers and turned that into a three-year payday with the Memphis Grizzlies. Will he come to regret that decision down the road?
The Cavaliers saw something they liked in Ty Jerome two years ago, plucking him off of a two-way deal in Golden State to be their backup point guard. He suffered a nasty ankle injury that knocked him out for the season in just his second game.
He came back in year two and had the best season of his career, a hyper-efficient offensive maven diming up teammates, stroking from deep and dropping in his unstoppable floater with aplomb. The playoffs showed that he didn't suddenly become an All-Star level player, but he is an extremely valuable bench scoring option who could start in the right situations.
With the Cavaliers over the second apron already heading into the summer, their ability to retain both Sam Merrill and Ty Jerome was limited. They could have offered Jerome a new deal, and they likely did to some extent, but they had to balance any money given to him with the long-term implications for maintaining their roster.
Jerome's list of suitors was thought to be large, but a few moves ahead of free agency took palyers off the board. The New Orleans Pelicans drafted a point guard in Jeremiah Fears. The Orlando Magic traded for Desmond Bane. The San Antonio Spurs spent their money on a backup center as free agency kicked off after drafting Dylan Harper. The Sacramento Kings zeroed in on Dennis Schroder (somewhat inexplicably; why wouldn't they rather have a younger and more effective Jerome?).
That left the Memphis Grizzlies, who signed Jerome to a three-year, $27.7 million deal. That was less money than many thought Jerome would get, but the market squeezed him and he took the offer on the table. Yet he could very well regret leaving the Cavaliers to join the Grizzlies.
Memphis is a difficult situation for Jerome
Ty Jerome did not sign with a team in dire need of his services, nor with a dead-bang obvious spot in the rotation. The Grizzlies have an All-Star level point guard of their own in Ja Morant; while he is prone to miss games due to injury or immaturity -- surely the reason the Grizzlies wanted a reliable backup option -- that limits Jerome's role on most nights.
Additionally, the Grizzlies already had a high-end backup in Scottie Pippen Jr. The son of an NBA legend, Pippen has carved out a space in the league on his own, a strong defender and improved scorer and passer. He played better than nearly any other Memphis player in the first-round exit to the Oklahoma City Thunder last season.
That's an extremely crowded point guard room in Memphis. The team will likely try to play two of those players together, especially Jerome and Pippen Jr. Moving on from Desmond Bane will help, as will Cole Anthony agreeing to a buyout to leave the team.
Even so, the minutes for Jerome are not being laid out on a silver platter. He left a title contender for one who will be straining to make the playoffs next season, and he did so for middling money and an uncertain role. To add insult to injury, after Jerome committed to the Grizzlies, they traded away his former teammate Jay Huff. He is leaving one teammate in Hunter behind and missing out on partnering with Huff.
It is not clear if returning to the Cavaliers was on the table, or if a larger role was available elsewhere. Memphis may have been his best option. Even so, he could end up regretting the decision if the downside of his new home comes to pass. There are a lot of ways this could go wrong for Ty Jerome.