The Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t likely to make any big moves this offseason.
They don’t have a lot of money to spend because of the second apron, so even keeping their own free agents might prove to be tricky for this front office.
However, Dan Favale of Bleacher Report believes they will find a way to do so.
In his latest column, he predicted that the Cavaliers will figure out how to re-sign backup G Ty Jerome:
“Ty Jerome stays put,” Favale predicted. “Re-signing your own free agent is seldom considered bold. This situation is different. As an Early Bird free agent, Ty Jerome’s max deal from the Cleveland Cavaliers tops out around four years and $64 million. That should be enough to lock him down. But the Cavs actually have to offer it. That’s not a guarantee. Maybe team governor Dan Gilbert takes the one-year hit. Even if he doesn’t, Darius Garland is expected to miss the start of next season following big toe surgery. That increases the importance of bringing back Jerome—even if it requires offloading other salary.”
Jerome isn’t a pure point guard, so he wouldn’t solve all the Cavs’ backcourt needs.
Then again, he’s coming off the best year of his career, and he was instrumental for the team off the bench and as a fill-in starter.
More than that, he was an instant source of offense in the second unit who flirted with 50/40/90 shooting splits and had some huge performances.
It might be just a fluke and a one-hit wonder, but the market for backup guards who can do what Jerome can do is rather limited.
Jerome might also welcome the opportunity to run it back with a team that trusted him and gave him a big role.
Even so, the Cavs will need to figure out how to make the numbers work.
They also want to sign Sam Merrill, which means parting ways with either Isaac Okoro or Dean Wade or both to make room for them on their books.
Unfortunately, this team will either look almost the same as this year or slightly worse after losing one of their major contributors.
NEXT: Insider Reveals What He's Hearing About Ty Jerome's Market Value
