What Role Will Ty Jerome Have With the Cleveland Cavaliers Next Season?

NBA insider believes that Ty Jerome could have a key role with the Cleveland Cavaliers next year.

Oct 12, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome (2) drives to the basket against Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze (35) during the second half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers have done very little in the offseason aside from giving extensions to Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.

The front office clearly has faith that the current roster has the potential to be a Finals contender. However, the team is going to have to stay healthy for that to happen.

The Wine and Gold’s season was ruined by injuries last year. From Allen missing the first handful of games in October to Mitchell being sidelined in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, the team could just never stay healthy.

There is another member of the Cavaliers who was injured practically the entire season. That’s Ty Jerome, who played just two games after signing a two-year deal with Cleveland last summer. Jerome suffered an ankle sprain early in the season, which caused him to need surgery and miss the rest of the year.

Jerome will be back in the fold next season, but what exactly will his role be on the team? Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor believes that he could be a key piece to the Cavaliers' offense and has the chance to be the team’s backup point guard.

“If the Cavs are going to be committed to trying to diversify their offense and try and not put as much pressure or playmaking responsibility on Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, Ty Jerome is somebody who can take some of those responsibilities,” said Fedor on the Wine & Gold Talk Podcast.

“I think there are a lot of signs that if Ty Jerome is on this team, he remains on this team through the trade deadline, I think he’s going to get an opportunity to be the backup point guard coming out of training camp.”

Oct 20, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) shoots the ball while Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome (2) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

It’s important to note that there were reports last week that the Cavs were looking to add another player who had ties to new head coach Kenny Atkinson. In a way, that player could be Jerome, even though he isn’t a new face to the organization. 

Jerome was with the Golden State Warriors from 2022-23, while Atkinson was an assistant on Steve Kerr’s staff. Jerome found success in that system and averaged 6.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists during his last full NBA Season.

There’s a real possibility that Jerome could be in the rotation next year. However, there will certainly be competition for that backup point guard spot. 

The Cavaliers found a diamond in the rough when they signed undrafted free agent Craig Porter Jr. after the 2023 draft. Porter played his way into Cleveland’s rotation at times last season and earned a four-year contract extension halfway through the year. The rookie averaged 5.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 51 games.

It’s going to be hard for Cleveland to find room for both Jerome and Porter in their every-game rotation, so this backup point guard competition is certainly something to watch in training camp and preseason.