Ty Jerome Predicted To Leave Cavaliers For Kings

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason and he has been predicted to leave the Cavs for the Sacramento Kings. 

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. 

“Prediction: The Sacramento Kings have the NTMLE available and need a starting-capable guard who can come off the bench,” Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report wrote. 

Evan Mobley signed a five-year, $224 million extension with Cleveland last summer. The All-Star 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. 

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

“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.”