Jerome will garner interest this summer.
Ty Jerome was one of the biggest surprises of the NBA season. As such, a number of teams will be lining up to potentially pry Jerome away from the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer.
One team that’s been mentioned is the Denver Nuggets.
“Sources say the Nuggets have interest in Ty Jerome,” reported Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “One Eastern Conference executive who spoke with Cleveland.com estimated Jerome’s valuation to be $12-14 million annually — right around the non-taxpayer midlevel exception ($14.1 million) and a dollar figure that does not surpass what the Cavs could offer.”
This would be a positive outcome for the Cavs. Jerome was integral to their success throughout the regular season and as far as the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Jerome’s effectiveness trailed off quickly once the stakes increased — which can be viewed as a double-edged sword.
On one hand, Jerome was so bad against Indiana that he likely no longer placed himself outside of Cleveland’s price range. On the other hand, there are valid questions to be had about whether or not Jerome’s game can translate to the later rounds of the playoffs.
Jerome’s decision-making is on trial. His shot selection was actively harmful to a Cavalier offense that was already grasping for straws. Jerome’s defense might have been even worse, as Indiana repeatedly targeted him until Cleveland had no choice but to pull Jerome off the floor.
All of these question marks will be considered as rival teams look at Jerome this summer. The Nuggets could certainly use another ball-handler and shot creator next to Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. But they can’t supersede Cleveland’s best offer. Will another team be willing to pay more than the Cavs? Or did Jerome cost himself a major payday this offseason?
“A bigger payday once seemed plausible — until Jerome’s horrendous second-round performance,” said Fedor. “Those lucrative multi-year contracts are typically reserved for starter-quality lead guards, and Jerome is primarily viewed as a backup.”