Last offseason, the Grizzlies were able to get Ty Jerome on a three-year $28 million deal using the room exception. Even though Ty Jerome struggled badly in Cleveland's second-round loss to the Indiana Pacers in 2025, it is clear that the Cavs made a mistake letting him walk and that the Grizzlies are big winners for it.
Despite making the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2018, the Cavs have looked badly outmatched against the Knicks, who are now one win away from the NBA Finals. There are plenty of issues causing the Cavs to struggle, but the lack of consistent bench scoring has been a driving force in their 3-0 deficit.
The Cavs faced a decision between Ty Jerome and former Grizzlies' preseason standout Sam Merrill this past summer. Even though Merrill is a reliable defender and a high-level three-point shooter, as evidenced by his heroic Game 7 in Detroit, the Grizzlies got gifted Ty Jerome. It's not a knock on Sam Merrill and how well he's done in Cleveland, but Jerome is the better player.
Yes, Jerome struggled immensely in the second round against the Pacers in 2025, but he finished third in the Sixth Man of the Year race and made a significant offensive leap. He was also an integral piece in the Cavs' dominant first-round win against the Miami Heat. It is becoming increasingly clear that the Cavs overreacted to a small sample size in Jerome's first taste of playoff basketball.
While Ty Jerome took less money to join the Grizzlies, his struggles against the Pacers likely hurt his market. Now, the Grizzlies have one of the best contracts in the entire league, and Jerome is here to speed up their rebuild.
Ty Jerome will help accelerate the Grizzlies' rebuild
Even though it cannot be fully ruled out that the Grizzlies field offers for Jerome this summer, it makes logical sense to run it back with him next season. Jerome can be a good stopgap option at point guard if Morant gets dealt this summer. Even in the more surprising event that Morant stays, Jerome would be one of the best bench options throughout the NBA.
It wasn't a huge sample size given Ty Jerome's calf injury suffered in preseason, but he showed exactly why the Grizzlies signed him this past offseason. In 15 games, Jerome averaged 19.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists on solid 47.4/42/87.5 shooting splits. Jerome gave the Grizzlies the microwave scoring they were looking for and was extremely comfortable as a pick-and-roll ball handler.
The Grizzlies have plenty of young talent on the roster and three top-32 picks in a stacked 2026 NBA Draft. However, they will need to acquire more proven veterans as the rebuild progresses. Luckily for them, they already have a reliable veteran player in Ty Jerome on the roster. If Zach Edey can build on his quality performances, the Grizzlies could have a dangerous pick-and-roll duo in him and Jerome.
A lot went wrong last season, but the Grizzlies benefitted from the Cavs letting Ty Jerome walk last summer. Now, they have one of the best contracts in basketball and are not done reaping the benefits.
Add us as a preferred source on Google