The Cavaliers will be able to make Ty Jerome a competitive offer.
Ty Jerome was the hero in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Game 1 victory over the Miami Heat. He scored 16 points in the fourth quarter to help seal the win.
While spectacular, Jerome’s performance wasn’t all that shocking. He has been doing things like this all season. This is why he was recently named a finalist for Sixth Man of the Year. That consistent string of solid play positions Ty Jerome for a lucrative payout this offseason when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
The Cavaliers do not have Ty Jerome’s Bird rights because he signed a two-year contract with the franchise in 2023. You must be with an organization for three seasons or be moved from a team that already owned that player’s Bird rights to obtain them.
That means the Cavs won’t be able to go over the cap to re-sign him as they did with Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen this summer. This is significant because the Cavs are well over the salary cap and will be for the foreseeable future.
The Cavs, however, have Ty Jerome’s Early Bird rights. This permits the Cavs to surpass the salary cap by signing a player for either 175% of their prior salary or 105% of the league-average wage from the previous season. The team having Early Bird privileges can choose which option is more advantageous. Additionally, you cannot sign someone to a one-year contract if you have their Early Bird rights as a workaround for obtaining their Bird rights.
Because Jerome earns little more than $2.5 million this year, an offer based on 175% of his pay would be uncompetitive. Cleveland’s sole choice was to sign him at 105% of the previous season’s league average pay, which will not be revealed until the completion of the regular season.
ESPN NBA cap expert Bobby Marks stated on X that the Cavaliers may offer Jerome a maximum of $14.3 million next season.
The Cavs, however, have Ty Jerome’s Early Bird rights. This permits the Cavs to surpass the salary cap by signing a player for either 175% of their prior salary or 105% of the league-average wage from the previous season. The team having Early Bird privileges can choose which option is more advantageous. Additionally, you cannot sign someone to a one-year contract if you have their Early Bird rights as a workaround for obtaining their Bird rights.
Because Jerome earns little more than $2.5 million this year, an offer based on 175% of his pay would be uncompetitive. Cleveland’s sole choice was to sign him at 105% of the previous season’s league average pay, which will not be revealed until the completion of the regular season.
ESPN NBA cap expert Bobby Marks stated on X that the Cavaliers may offer Jerome a maximum of $14.3 million next season.
That figure is consistent with expectations for next season for the non-taxpayer mid-level exception of $14.1 million. Cleveland’s highest offer would be superior to what teams attempting to sign Ty Jerome with their full midlevel exception might give.
That leaves the few teams expected to have cap room this summer as competition. As things are, the only teams are the Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, and Detroit Pistons.
Jerome is unlikely to be of interest to the Nets or the Jazz. They are both rebuilding and hoping to accumulate draft picks. Signing a veteran guard in the middle of his peak does not align with that goal.
The Pistons would be an ideal fit. They desperately need more ball handlers to surround Cade Cunningham with. That was displayed during their recent Game 1 loss to the New York Knicks. J.B. Bickerstaff, the Pistons’ head coach, is also familiar with Jerome. Bickerstaff was in charge at Cleveland when Jerome first signed.
However, just because Jerome matches the Pistons’ needs does not guarantee they will pursue him with their cap room. They may want to keep it open to make a deal for a top player or fill many gaps in free agency.
We don’t know Ty Jerome’s main goals this summer, but signs point to him being prepared to sign an extension in Cleveland. Perhaps he wants to be a guaranteed starter. Maybe he wants to acquire as much money as possible. Those are reasonable ambitions for someone in a two-way relationship just a few years ago.
We’ll see how things go when free agency rolls around. A lot can happen between now and then. We know that retaining Ty Jerome will be a top priority for the Cavs, and they can make a competitive offer compared to most other teams.
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