Sixth Man of the Year Candidate Predicted to Struggle After Trade to Grizzlies

Jerome showed off how valuable he can be as a sixth man last season, being one of the most efficient guards in the NBA, and ultimately finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting. Luckily for the Grizzlies, he will have a similar role for them, but it is all a question of whether he can be as efficient.

Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes predicts that Jerome will be Cleveland's "biggest faller" for the 2025-26 NBA season.

"Jerome couldn't miss last year. He shot 51.6 percent from the field and 43.9 percent from deep while hitting seemingly every floater he lofted up toward the basket," Hughes wrote. "His efficient work off Cleveland's bench resulted in a third-place finish in Sixth Man of the Year voting and earned him a $27 million deal from the Grizzlies.

"Regression is coming, both because nobody stays as hot as Jerome was last year, and because the Grizzlies have two players—Ja Morant and Scotty Pippen Jr.—who should sit firmly ahead of Jerome in the backcourt rotation."

The Grizzlies should be set for a productive bench backcourt, as Jerome and Scotty Pippen Jr. are both effective players in that role, but it will simply be very hard for the recent Cavaliers guard to match his production from last season. The Cavaliers had the ideal system for Jerome, where he could come in and play his role with so many weapons around him, but Memphis is simply not as talented.

While Jerome will not necessarily be bad for the Grizzlies next season, it is unreasonable to expect him to match his production and efficiency from last season.