Why I'm Okay The Cavs Choose Sam Merril Over Ty Jerome
Happy NBA Free Agency to all those who celebrate! Well, maybe not in Northeast Ohio if you are a Cavaliers fan. For those living under a rock or not doom-scrolling Elon Musk's internet, the Cavs are now living in their new reality of the second apron, which creates more restrictions for the bigger spending teams in the NBA. Because of this, the Cavs are currently in the mists of making those tough decisions in hopes of maximizing their title window—one of those being either keeping backup guard Ty Jerome or shooting guard Sam Merrill. If you've read this far, you know the choice they made. Jerome is now a Memphis Grizzly, and Merrill is $38 million richer in Cleveland.
To be real for a second, I did like Jerome just like a lot of you did, but it shouldn't have been that shocking. When the trade sending Lonzo Ball to Cleveland in exchange for Issac Okoro became official, the Cavs had told you the direction they were already going days before. It doesn't mean it didn't sting to see Ty going to Memphis, but when I thought about it more and more, I was not as bothered by the decision as some fans seem to be. It's not exclusive to the Pacers series; it's a part of it. However, the one thing that sticks out in my mind is the quality of his shots. Lost in all the heat checks, contested floaters, and willingness to pull from anywhere on the court, I wonder how much he was shooting way above his head. Despite being one of the most efficient players per 36 minutes in the league last year, he was also in the 2nd percentile in quality of shots per BB Index in the 2024-25 campaign. For a 6'5” combo guard who lacks great athleticism and a consistent first step, seeing him try to replicate seasons close to his 51%/44%/87% shooting splits year after year while making an absurd 58% of shots from the midrange with the same reckless abandon in the paint has me having some doubts. It's one thing to be a fun microwave scorer when everything is going well, but what else does he bring? He isn't a good enough playmaker to keep it rolling or the most outstanding defender, and we saw him get benched halfway into the Pacers series once he got cold from the field because he couldn't provide value anywhere else to keep him on the floor.
That is the potential dilemma with Jerome, a guy who can have an impact coming off the bench as a bucket-getter but could be run off the floor just as quickly if he isn't. Even at the reported 9.333 million a year, he must prove he's just as ultra-efficient from the field to overcompensate for the lack of other positive attributes. In an NBA landscape where roster construction margins are getting thinner, especially in the playoffs, if you are good at one thing and it's not working in a seven-game series, it's hard to justify keeping you on the floor in the middle of a dry spell. That is probably why the Cavs have gone in the direction they have. Sure, it might not be a popular take, and it seems scary to buy low on Lonzo Ball even with his injury history in mind, but this is sometimes the gamble you must take to win a championship.