Mavericks predicted to target breakout Cavaliers guard

Mavericks could target Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome

Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor (paywall) has reported that the Mavericks are a team to keep an eye on for breakout guard Ty Jerome if he can't get a big contract from one of the few teams that have cap space.

"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.
A bigger payday once seemed plausible — until Jerome’s horrendous second-round performance against speedy, athletic, feisty Indiana who exposed some of his most worrisome traits, especially on defense, as the Pacers treated him as a figurative traffic cone." ...

"If the 27-year-old Jerome is looking for more money, it would have to come from a team with estimated practical salary cap space. There aren’t many of those.
Brooklyn. Detroit. Memphis. Chicago.
A few more could get there, freeing up space with some salary maneuvering to pursue Jerome — or any other free agent. But those financial decisions are typically reserved for more high-profile, Plan-A free agents."...

"With cap-space teams looking like a wonky fit, the market will likely be set a notch lower.
At this point, more than 20 teams are projected to have the full MLE — and some would be appealing based on system, playing style, opportunity and contention status.
San Antonio. Dallas. Golden State. Keep an eye on all three."

Jerome didn't have a great playoff for the Cavs, but he was electric in the regular season, averaging 12.5 PPG and 3.4 APG in a hair under 20 MPG. He was well on his way to demanding a massive contract in the offseason before he averaged just 8 PPG on 30% shooting against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. But that could be good for the Mavs, who need a solid point guard who can fit within their budget.