Cavs Likely Will Be Able To Beat Or Match Any Outside Offers For Ty Jerome

April 23, 2025

As anyone who watches the Cavs knows, Ty Jerome was one of the true heroes of the Game 1 win over the Miami Heat. He erupted for 28 points in his first-ever playoff game, including 16 in the fourth quarter.

That’s no fluke — Jerome’s been lighting it up all year, becoming a Sixth Man of the Year finalist along the way. Now, as he heads into unrestricted free agency, the big question is: how much can Cleveland pay him?

That amount was revealed by ESPN cap expert Bobby Marks (via Jackson Flickinger of Fear the Sword). And for the Cavs, it’s mostly good news. Let’s break it down:

No Full Bird Rights, No Problem … Kinda

Here’s the deal on Bird rights: to have “full” Bird rights, a player needs three years with the same team (or be acquired via trade with existing rights). Jerome signed a two‑year deal in 2023, so he doesn’t qualify. That means the Cavs can’t dip over the cap the same way they did for Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, or Jarrett Allen.

Good news? Cleveland still holds Early Bird rights on Jerome. That lets them exceed the cap to offer either:

175% of his prior salary (which, at just over $2.5 million this year, is non‑starter money), or
105% of the league’s average salary from last season.

It’s the latter that matters for Jerome.

Crunching the Numbers: $14.3 Million Max

Marks laid it out on X: The Cavaliers can top off Jerome at $14.3 million for 2025–26. That tracks almost exactly with next season’s non‑taxpayer mid‑level exception (MLE) projection of $14.1 million, as Flickinger relayed. Translation? Cleveland can bid more than most other clubs using their full MLE — giving the Cavs a clear edge in retaining their spark off the bench.

$14.3M

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) April 21, 2025

Who Else Can Compete?

Realistically, only a handful of teams will boast actual cap space this summer. Right now, it’s looking like:

Brooklyn Nets
Utah Jazz
Detroit Pistons

Let’s break that down:

Nets and Jazz: Both teams are in rebuild/pick‑accumulation modes. A mid‑prime vet guard like Jerome doesn’t exactly scream “future assets.” I strongly suspect neither team will make a serious run at him.
Pistons: Here’s the interesting one. Detroit badly wants playmaking around Cade Cunningham. Plus, J.B. Bickerstaff coached Jerome in Cleveland. Familiarity could spark interest. But do the Pistons spend their cap space on Jerome, or hold it for a blockbusting trade? That remains to be seen.

What’s Jerome’s Priority?

We really don’t know Jerome’s offseason checklist. Maybe he wants a guaranteed starting role. Maybe it’s simply max money after riding two‑ways not long ago. Both motivations make sense for a guy who’s gone from the G League to late‑game heroics in the playoffs.

One thing’s certain: Cleveland wants to keep him, and they can match — or beat — most offers on the table. Jerome has been the Cavs’ X‑factor all season; why break up a good thing?

Final Thoughts

Free agency is a roulette wheel — rosters shift, coaches get fired, stars demand trades. By the time July rolls around, who knows what the Cavs’ cap sheet will look like?

But right now, a $14.3 million offer is the baseline. It’s a strong baseline, and one that others seemingly would not be willing to surpass. So yes, there is a good chance that the Cavs and Jerome can stay together. At least, it feels that way at the moment.