Ty Jerome was supposed to be a massive part of the Memphis Grizzlies plans in 2025-26 and beyond after signing a 3-year, $27 million deal with the team in the offseason after a breakout campaign with the Cavaliers last year.
That hasn't happened — through no fault of his own, though. Jerome has yet to take the court for the Grizzlies due to a calf strain, and he's reportedly still months away from returning. I think a big percentage of NBA fans have probably forgotten Jerome is even a member of the Grizzlies at this point.
Still, it's a frustrating start to what should eventually be a fun player and team partnership. Cavs fans aren't rejoicing at Jerome's bad injury luck, of course, as Cavs fans aren't bad people and because the consensus among fans seemed to be wishing Jerome the best in his new home in Memphis.
Former Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome continues to struggle with injuries
Jerome's breakout last year came as a surprise. But it's not as though Jerome was a bad player who became a good player out of nowhere. He had actually always been a good player — he was just never healthy enough to prove it for extended stretches!
He played 70 games last year, far and away a career-high. The season prior, he played just two, and hasn't cracked 50 in any of his NBA seasons, a trend that will unfortunately start back up this year. Plus, when Jerome does get hurt, it seems to be long-term injuries rather than short-term ailments.
As a team, the Grizzlies have had a strange, up-and-down year without Jerome in the lineup. He was expected to be a huge part of the rotation, and his absence has caused breakouts from rookie Cedric Coward and Vince Williams Jr. AKA Magic Johnson like once every two weeks.
When Jerome eventually returns, and if Ja Morant ever becomes Ja Morant again, this should be a pretty fun backcourt. There's a balance of scoring, defensive upside, and playmaking that will make them tough to defend when at full strength. The only problem is getting them back to full strength feels like a big ask.
Cavs fans will be rooting for Jerome when he finally makes his Grizzlies debut. In the meantime, Griz fans are unfortunately experiencing something that fans of all the other teams Jerome played for once experienced, too. When he's on the court, Cavs fans know how awesome he is.