The Grizzlies face an inevitable roster crunch this offseason, largely due to the early stages of the rebuild and a strong 2026 NBA Draft. Even though Ty Jerome is a dream fit for Tuomas Iisalo's offense, the Grizzlies face an offseason dilemma that is being overlooked going into a crucial offseason in franchise history.
Ty Jerome signed a three-year $28 million deal last summer as the Grizzlies used their room exception. Despite appearing in just 15 games, Jerome showed glimpses of why many Grizzlies fans were excited about his signing. Jerome averaged 19.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in just 22.6 minutes per game.
The sample size wasn't huge, but Jerome's quick scoring bursts and comfort as a pick-and-roll ball handler fueled excitement within the Grizzlies fanbase. With an offseason Ja Morant trade looking more likely this offseason, Ty Jerome makes plenty of sense as the starting point guard in the short term. However, Jerome's player option raises questions about his future despite how well he played.
Ty Jerome's player option deserves further discussion
When looking at Jerome's deal and strong performances in a Grizzlies jersey, it is clear that his contract is very team-friendly. Zach Kleiman had previously praised Jerome in his exit interview and felt he could be in the Grizzlies' future past this season. Kleiman stated, "We were all impressed of the balance Ty was able to strike as a scorer and facilitator. He's a very good basketball player."
In a perfect world, Jerome continues in Memphis, and Grizzlies fans finally get to see a devastating pick-and-roll duo featuring him and Zach Edey. Unfortunately, despite Kleiman's strong endorsement of Jerome, conversations about Jerome's future can't 100% be avoided. Jerome is set to make $9.2 million next season, but afterwards, he has a player option heading into the last year of his deal.
It will be essential for Ty Jerome to stay healthy, but if Jerome can perform at a similar level to this past season, him opting out of his $9.6 million player option for the 2027-28 season would make plenty of sense. Despite the strong fit in Iisalo's offense, there is very real risk that the Grizzlies could lose a productive player in Ty Jerome for nothing.
Ja Morant is very likely on the move soon, but the Grizzlies will still have a logjam of guards regardless. Despite Ty Jerome significantly breaking out in his last two seasons, could he potentially be on the way out? A strong argument can certainly be made to sell high on Ty Jerome this summer, given that his team-friendly contract and scoring could realistically help a contender.
It would be tough to see Ty Jerome go after such a promising sample size of games in his first year as a Grizzly. Unfortunately, Jerome's player option before the 2027 season could end up forcing the Grizzlies into a surprisingly difficult decision this offseason.
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