Cleveland’s call last summer came down to a hard truth NBA teams know all too well: you can’t pay everyone, so you have to bet on the guy most likely to be there when it matters. In this case, the Cavaliers chose Sam Merrill over Ty Jerome, and the logic has held up.
Merrill wasn’t just a standstill shooter anymore. He added a little more wiggle to his offense, got quicker with his movement and became tougher to track.
With injuries pushing him into a starting role on most nights, he bumped his scoring from eight points a game to 13 and posted a career-high in made shots. He also shot 46% overall and hit 42% of his threes, all while leading the team in charges drawn.
He started 38 of his 52 games and gave Cleveland the kind of steady, all-around value that sticks.
Jerome, by contrast, flashed big numbers in a far smaller window. He played only 15 games, never topped 20 minutes in any of them, and still managed 20 points and six assists per game.
But the sample was tiny, and the missed time mattered. His season was interrupted by a shooting-hand injury, and by the time he returned, the team was out of contention and simply looking to get him reps.
That availability edge looms large in Jerome’s career overall, too. He has only reached 50 games played once in seven seasons, and his current total sits at 244 appearances in 468 possible games.
Cleveland also lived through the difference last year: the team went 37-15 with Merrill available and just 15-15 without him. That’s the kind of split that turns a roster debate into a pretty clear answer.
Merrill’s value wasn’t limited to shooting. He brought edge on defense, too.
His willingness to put his body on the line against Ausar Thompson in Game 7 was one of those moments that changes a series. He’s also shown he can handle bigger assignments, whether that’s Jrue Holiday, Ausar Thompson or Jayson Tatum.
He has even said he’d “play center” if asked, and he’s spent time at small forward despite his frame.
That flexibility matters because it lets him help the group in ways Jerome simply can’t. Jerome was productive in Cleveland and even got hot in an elimination spot against Indiana two seasons ago, but defense has always been the issue. He was a liability on that end, and he doesn’t bring the same ability to cover bigger wings or help shape a top-tier defense.
So while Jerome is in a good spot in Memphis and healthy to start this season, Cleveland made its bet on the player more likely to stay on the floor and fill multiple roles. Merrill is set to come off the bench as a sixth man, keep spacing the floor and keep making the right reads. He and Peyton Watson are important pieces for the team’s defensive success.
The money is close enough to underline the point. Jerome makes $9 million a year, while Merrill makes $9.5 million.
Both players have produced enough to look underpaid. But in the end, Cleveland went with the simpler equation: availability wins.
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Jarrett Allen Trade Buzz Puts The Cavs In A Tough Spot
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Allen acknowledged the speculation, but he has kept his focus on staying ready and being the best player he can be. For Cleveland, that creates a familiar kind of tension in the offseason: a player the team clearly values is also the kind of name that tends to surface whenever rival front offices start looking for help, leaving the Cavs to weigh stability against the noise around him. [Read more 🡒]
Jarrett Allen Trade Buzz Puts Cleveland In A Tough Spot
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The bigger challenge for Cleveland is what Allen represents in the bigger picture of the frontcourt. The Cavs see him and Evan Mobley as the interior pairing they are counting on to stabilize the defense, so moving Allen would have to come with a clear upgrade elsewhere. For now, no proposal has met that standard, and the team has declined every inquiry while the market keeps poking around. [Read more 🡒]
Charge Just Signaled Which Young Talent They'll Prioritize This Season
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For Cleveland, the transaction clears a path to keep leaning into Austin while rearranging its broader list of young talent. Oklahoma City picked up the returning player rights to Killian Hayes, Justyn Hamilton and Babatunde Akingbola, along with a 2026 second-round pick, in a deal that reflects the early roster chessboard of the upcoming season. It is one of those small-but-telling G League moves that can quietly shape which prospects a team is most prepared to prioritize. [Read more 🡒]