Report: Cavaliers Hope Ty Jerome Will Take Discount To Return

According to Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps of ESPN, the Cleveland Cavaliers hope Ty Jerome will take a discount to return. 

Jerome becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason. 

“The Cavs are wary of losing him and fellow key reserve free agent Sam Merrill, a shooting specialist who could have suitors as a fellow unrestricted free agent. Jerome, who was on a $2.5 million deal this past season with the Cavaliers, is in line for a very hefty raise from that number, sources said,” Windhorst and Bontemps wrote. “The expectation around the league is that it will take the full midlevel exception — roughly $14.1 million — to get Jerome signed.

“Cleveland, however, is hoping to get him to return for a bit less, sources said, as it attempts to navigate the second luxury tax apron and the team-building challenges that go along with it.”

Jerome averaged 12.5 points for the Cavaliers this season while shooting 51.6% from the field, 43.9% from beyond the arc and 87.2% from the foul line. He made $2,560,975.

Jerome has played for the Phoenix Suns, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors and Cavaliers. He has career averages of 8.7 points. 

Evan Mobley signed a five-year, $224 million extension with Cleveland last summer. The big man winning the 2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year Award triggered a clause in his contract that calls for him to increase the first-year salary of his rookie-scale extension from 25 to 30% of the salary cap.

As a result, the Cavaliers are now projected to have $219 million in salary for the 2025-26 season and be over the second apron.

Cleveland was the No. 1 seed in the East this year, but the Indiana Pacers beat Kenny Atkinson’s group in the conference semifinals in five games.