Grizzlies’ Ty Jerome Will ‘Put Up Numbers’ When Healthy, West Executive Says

Ty Jerome holds a $9.7 million player option for 2027-28 and can become an unrestricted free agent next summer. ESPN’s Bobby Marks put the Memphis Grizzlies guard in the starting lineup of his Contract Year All-Stars on Tuesday.

On Friday, a West executive weighed in on Jerome in a league intel piece by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon.

Every team that has had Jerome has loved him, according to the executive.

“If you look at Ty’s career, when he’s been healthy he’s always reliably been a real contributor. The teams who’ve had him have always loved him,” the West executive said. “If he’s healthy and playing and you put the ball in his hands, the guy is going to put up numbers. It’s just been hard to get all three of those aligned year over year.”

Windhorst compared Jerome’s start to his 2024-25 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He appeared in 70 games that season, starting three, while averaging 12.5 points and shooting 43.9% from 3-point range, and Cleveland went 64-18. He finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting behind Boston’s Payton Pritchard.

The season before that, an ankle injury held him to two games. Earlier in his career, Jerome spent two seasons in Oklahoma City and one in Golden State, Marks noted.

Memphis signed him to a three-year deal in the summer of 2025. A high-grade right calf strain then kept him out until Jan. 30, when he scored 20 points with 6 assists in 20 minutes against Minnesota. He played 15 games for Memphis last season.

Eric Oetter, the Grizzlies trainer, got credit from Jerome after that first game back.

“That injury was kind of out of my control,” Jerome said. “It was a freak injury. A bad misstep, but shoutout to Eric Oetter, our trainer. He was great during my rehab process. Really helped me get right.”

Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo said that night that Jerome’s minutes would be capped around 20 as he built back.

“Ty is definitely that guy,” Iisalo said. “He’s been that guy throughout his career.”

Jerome was averaging 28.2 points and 5.7 assists and shooting 42.1% from 3-point range when Marks published the list. Memphis was plus-18.2 points per 100 possessions with him on the court, Marks wrote, citing Cleaning the Glass.

Marks predicted Jerome will decline the option if he keeps playing at this level. Because he holds early Bird rights, the most he could sign for with Memphis next summer is four years and $72.3 million, according to Marks. If he opts in, he becomes eligible for a four-year, $99.9 million extension.

Eight teams are projected to have cap space next summer, and another 12 are projected to have the $16 million non-tax mid-level exception, Marks wrote.

He scored a career-high 45 points against Utah in the opener and 40 in Monday’s 135-134 overtime loss to New Orleans. The league named him Western Conference Player of the Week on Oct. 26.

Every day is the same mindset for Jerome, by his own account after the January return.

“We’re just going to continue on that path,” Jerome explained. “It don’t stop now that I’ve played a game. Every day is the same mindset. Just keep working forever.”

The Grizzlies and the Oklahoma City Thunder tip off at 7 p.m. CT Friday at FedExForum. Memphis plays at Cleveland on Nov. 18.