The Cleveland Cavaliers started off the season on fire winning each of their first 15 games. It was just the fourth instance in NBA history that a team was able to do so. They finished 2024-25 with a 64-18 record, best in the Eastern Conference. It culminated in Kenny Atkinson being named Coach of the Year in his first year on the sidelines with the team.
After a rather easy four-game sweep of the Miami Heat in the opening round, they entered the Eastern Conference Semifinals as huge favorites over the Indiana Pacers. While injuries played a role, it was a disappointing end of the season for Cleveland as they were ousted in five games. Game 4 was particularly embarrassing as they tied a NBA playoff record by trailing by 41 points at halftime.
Now the focus turns to the offseason for the Cavaliers. They hope to take the next step after two straight exits in the second round. Let’s predict whether their key free agents this offseason will remain with the club
or move on elsewhere.
Stay Or Go? Predicting What Happens With Cavaliers Free Agents
Ty Jerome – Stay
After appearing in just two games last season, it was truly a breakout year for Ty Jerome in 2024-25. The 27-year-old finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting. It was completely unexpected entering the season, and Jerome posted career-high averages of 12.5 points, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals. He fell just shy of the 50/40/90 club with
shooting splits of 51.6/43.9/87.2.
Unfortunately for Jerome, he had a disappointing showing in the second round against the Indiana Pacers after performing well in the opening round against the Miami Heat. This was particularly true in Games 2 and 3 against Indiana where he shot a combined 2-22 (0-8 from three-point territory). Despite this, expect the Cavaliers to reward Jerome with a multi-year deal after his career-best year. One rough series from Jerome shouldn’t detract from everything he has done this season.
Sam Merrill – Leave
This is a difficult one, as Sam Merrill has played a huge role for Cleveland off the bench for the last two seasons. He even started three games in this year’s playoffs in outings that Darius Garland was forced to miss. The Cavaliers roster is becoming rather expensive though, and sacrifices may need to be made. Next season will include the first year of Evan Mobley’s max rookie scale extension. If it’s a choice between keeping Merrill and Jerome, I believe the latter is more likely to remain.
Turning 29 years old on May 15, Merrill played nearly 20 minutes a contest in the regular season. The sharpshooter connected on 37.2% of
his three-point tries in 2024-25 after shooting 40.4% from beyond the arc in 2023-24. Shooting is always going to be looked upon positively in free agency, meaning another team may give the 6-foot-4 guard an offer that Cleveland deems to be too pricey.
Photo credit: © David Richard-Imagn Images
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