UVA Basketball alum Ty Jerome has a year left on the two-year deal that he signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers last summer, but whether he’s with the team when training camp starts on Oct. 1 is a big question.
There isn’t a lot of news on Jerome on the interwebs, but the little that I am seeing from those who cover the Cavs involves speculation that the team is leaning toward cutting bait on Jerome, who only played in two games for Cleveland last season, not playing after Oct. 27 due to a right ankle injury that led to surgery in January.
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Jerome was brought in to back up five-year veteran Darius Garland at the point, but even in the two games in which he was available, he only logged six minutes (in Cleveland’s 114-113 season-opening win over Brooklyn on Oct. 25) and nine minutes (in a 108-105 loss to Oklahoma City two nights later).
With Jerome out, rookie Craig Porter Jr. emerged as the backup at the one spot, and seemed to grow into the role as the season went on, averaging 5.6 points and 2.3 assists in 12.7 minutes per game, which translates to 15.8 points and 6.5 assists per 36 minutes, and he shot 50.9 percent from the floor and 35.3 percent from three, both good numbers.
Jerome’s per-36 minutes numbers are close – 14.5 points and 5.4 assists – but his shooting, 42.1 percent from the floor, 35.2 percent from three, isn’t.
The bigger issue would be Jerome’s injury history – he missed time with a right ankle injury as a rookie, had his second NBA season cut short with time missed to a left ankle injury, then his third ended with a groin injury that needed surgery, ahead of missing the final 80 games plus the playoffs last year with the latest ankle issue.
All told, Jerome has only been on the floor for 159 games across five NBA seasons.
Jerome is set to make $2.56 million next season.
At that salary, he could be a candidate for a salary-dump trade-and-waive or outright buyout, and if that happens, that could be the effective end of his NBA career.
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Chris Graham
