One of the reasons for the Cavs’ incredible success during the 2024-25 NBA season has been the play of the team’s supporting cast, led by Ty Jerome, who has turned himself into a legitimate Sixth Man of the Year candidate this season. Jerome was not on many people’s radar as a player likely to contribute on a contending team heading into this season, but that’s exactly the position he finds himself in as the year enters its home stretch.
Jerome will hit free agency this offseason, where he is expected to command a major salary boost and generate interest from teams across the league. However, recently, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com shared his thoughts on why the Cavs will likely be committed to bringing back the point guard.
“He will be their priority this off season. It was going to be Caris LeVert, but that decision was taken out of their hands … Now, their priority is going to shift to bringing back Ty. And I believe that they’re going to,” reported Fedor, per Tommy Wild of Sports Illustrated.
Indeed, the Cavs traded Caris LeVert and Georges Niang to the Atlanta Hawks at the deadline in exchange for De’Andre Hunter, a move that has paid dividends for the team so far.
A breakout season for Ty Jerome
Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Leading up to this year, Ty Jerome had carved out a solid niche for himself in the NBA as a point guard who could come in and provide capable playmaking for a team for short stretches. However, no one could have foreseen the former Virginia star turning himself into one of the best bench players in the entire league, extending his range to well outside the three-point line and also showing an increased shotmaking ability around the rim.
Jerome’s excellence has been a key part of the reason why the Cavs have played so far above expectations this year, and it will be interesting to see how big of a role he is given in the playoffs, when bench players’ minutes generally take a dip.
The Cavs will next take the floor on Tuesday evening vs the Chicago Bulls.
