Ty Jerome's playoff struggles may have been a blessing in disguise for the Cleveland Cavaliers, as he may have tanked his value on the free agent market. Jerome averaged only 8.0 points per game and 2.6 assists per game on 30 percent shooting from the field and 25 percent shooting from deep in the Pacer series. This followed a Heat series in which he averaged 16.3 points and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 50 percent from three and 52 percent from the field.
It was truly night and day for Jerome, but this may work to the Cavs favor as teams may be unwilling to shell out big money to Jerome in the offseason.
And with that in mind, the Cavs need to bring him back at all costs this offseason.
Cavaliers Must Bring Ty Jerome Back (On a Budget-Friendly Deal)
The Cavs are on pace to be one of the league's more expensive teams and in the luxury tax, so they may not have much money to offer Jerome. The most they could offer is $12 million over the next two seasons, which could certainly be surpassed by other teams with cap space.
Still, I think we have to anticipate the possibility that guys like De'Andre Hunter, Jarrett Allen and even Darius Garland may be on the trade market following a disappointing early exit from the playoffs. Those three guys make roughly $85 million combined next season, so if they end up being moved it could free up some cap flexibility for the Cavs to potentially remain competitive with their Ty Jerome offer.
Cavs fans may be quick to condemn Jerome after a horrible playoff series but the fact remains that he was legitimately one of the most impactful offensive players in the NBA this season. Jerome finished the season in the 95th percentile of Offensive Estimated Plus Minus. He ranked in the 97th percentile of Effective Field Goal percentage (60.7%) amongst combo guards. His 45% from three was a career high. He also showed defensive ability as he had a solid Steal rate of 2.3%, which places him in the 84th percentile amongst combo guards.
Jerome showed he was a great 6th man across a larger sample of 1300 minutes during the regular season. Yes, he had a horrible playoff series, but the Cavs would be wise not to overreact to that smaller sample of bad play. He also had a great playoff series against the Heat in the first round, stepping up big time when Darius Garland went down. Jerome could be a cheaper complementary option than Darius Garland alongside Mitchell if the Cavs decide to explore a Garland trade this offseason.
The Cavs must find a way to keep Jerome on the roster heading into the 2025-2026 season.