The Cleveland Cavaliers were on track to lose Ty Jerome., but his own playoff failures may end up keeping him around.
Trading for De'Andre Hunter at the NBA Trade Deadline signaled that Ty Jerome was very likely going to leave in free agency this summer. By the time Evan Mobley won Defensive Player of the Year, locking in an even higher salary for next season that pushed Cleveland deep into the tax and above the second apron, it was seemingly over for Jerome's time with the Cavaliers.
Ty Jerome appeared to be leaving
For as deep as Dan Gilbert's pockets were, the idea that the Cavaliers would shell out another $12 million in salary and $40 million (or more) in tax payments was hard to fathom. Add in that the team would also be severely limited in how it could make changes to the roster due to being over the second apron, and that a new long-term contract for Jerome would tie up their books for years to come, and the decision seemed clear.
Add to that the fact that Jerome was surely to be in high demand around the league. He had the best season of his career, creating offense for himself and others and shooting the lights out from deep. His floater was among the best in the league, and on defense his high rate of steals balanced his below-average on-ball defensive abilities. 20 teams in the league could use another guard with those skills.
Then the playoffs happened. Jerome was on fire in the first round, lighting up the Miami Heat and sending his stock soaring. Teams from Orlando to San Antonio to Sacramento were counting their stacks of gold coins and making ticks on their spreadsheets to make a plan to sign Jerome to a significant contract. Would the Brooklyn Nets offer him $20 million per season? Would the Magic or Spurs work out a sign-and-trade at $15 per season? How many teams would offer the full Mid-Level Exception?
Unfortunately for Jerome and the Cavaliers, the second round was a different story. The Indiana Pacers completely flummoxed Jerome, putting length on him and "pulling the chair" when he tried to execute his usual drives into contact. He shot 15-of-50 for the series (30 percent) and only 4-for-16 from deep. It's not clear which was more painful, that he only shot 25 percent or that he only took 16 3-pointers total in five games.
The Cavaliers were outscored by 41 points per 100 possessions when Jerome was on the court vs the Pacers, a stomach-churningly bad number. With Darius Garland missing the first two games the Cavs needed Jerome to step up, and he was completely unable to. Garland forced his way back despite barely being able to put weight on his injured toe, and Jerome's role was marginalized the rest of the way. Even back in his normal bench role, however, he had nothing positive to contribute.
Could the Cavaliers keep Ty Jerome?
Given the team's financial situation, keeping Jerome would be extremely difficult under any circumstance. The most they can offer him is the average player salary, expected to check in just over $12 million, which initially didn't seem like enough to be competitive for Jerome. On top of that, even signing him at that $12 million number would have been too financially difficult given the rest of their salary cap situation.
What if Jerome's market is crashing after his own personal crash in the NBA Playoffs? What if the Magic and Spurs and Kings and Pistons and Nets and Mavericks are all pivoting to other options, not wanting to limit their playoff ceiling by a player who just flamed out?
If Jerome has a serious lack of suitors in free agency, suddenly the possibility that he might return for a smaller amount opens up. If Jerome were to be signed for $8 million instead of $12, the savings would be monumental. He would also likely remain very tradeable on that deal once the stench of his playoff bust fades away and he puts some more excellent production on tape.
Signing a lower-level contract is a risk for Jerome, as he may never have a season as good as last year. Yet there are certainly reasons to want to stay in Cleveland, from the offensive system fitting his strengths beautifully, to his friend and former teammate De'Andre Hunter now being on the roster. Taking a discount when you had teams willing to pay two and three times that amount? Lunacy. If the offers are close? Maybe. Just maybe.
The Cavaliers should be able to look past one bad series and see all of the value Jerome brings, especially during the regular season. And we already discussed that if they are forced to decide between the two, that Sam Merrill should be the priority.
But if his market crashes, and Jerome is willing, bringing him back at a discount could be a savvy way to navigate the financially troubled waters this summer. And perhaps his second round series will prove to yield a silver lining.