Ty Jerome Is Playing His Way Out of the NBA's Most Underrated Conversation

When you think of underrated NBA players, the Memphis Grizzlies’ Ty Jerome is likely one of the first guys that comes to your mind. Bleacher Report analyst Greg Swartz thinks he’s the league’s single most underrated performer.

There’s a strange contradiction when deeming a player this underrated: You’re rating them. If everyone knows Jerome is underrated, how underrated can he be?

Yet, the answer is clear: Very. However good you think Jerome is, there’s a pretty good chance he’s better.

He proved that during the Grizzlies’ season opener, and he has kept proving it through the first two weeks of the season.

Swartz said this in an article called 1 Overreaction to Every NBA Team’s First Game. Whether calling Jerome the most underrated player in the league is an overreaction or not is a matter of debate.

If you’re reading this, you know what Jerome accomplished in the Grizzlies’ dominant 123-103 victory over the Jazz on Oct. 21. To reiterate, he finished with a career-high 45 points while shooting 17-of-25 from the field and 5-of-10 from long range, with 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Those are bona fide superstar numbers.

The 45 points broke Ja Morant’s franchise record for a season opener. Morant scored 44 to open the 2020-21 season.

Jerome followed it with 28 points at Golden State on Oct. 23 and 31 at Sacramento on Oct. 25. After that, the NBA named him the Western Conference Player of the Week for the first time in his career. On Nov. 2, he scored 40 on 14-of-22 shooting, including 5-of-6 from long range, in a 135-134 overtime loss to the New Orleans Pelicans that ended Memphis’ 6-0 start. He scored nine straight points in the final 1:43 of regulation to force overtime.

Through six games, Jerome is averaging 28.2 points. Memphis is 6-1.

Jerome is almost undeniably the best player on an NBA team. No matter what team it is, that’s an incredible accomplishment. Cameron Boozer, the third overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, is the franchise player. For the time being, though, any team in pursuit of an NBA championship would take a (healthy) Jerome over anyone else on this squad.

Unfortunately, that “healthy” caveat has held Jerome back. If he could have dodged more injuries in his career, his status could be much higher. Last season, Jerome averaged 19.7 points and 5.7 assists while shooting 42.0% from three-point range in 15 games. A calf injury kept him out of the lineup until Jan. 31.

The caveat has already come up this season. Jerome was a late addition to the injury report with back tightness before the Oct. 29 game at Portland. He played through it and scored 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting in a 124-103 win. He then sat out the Oct. 31 win over Sacramento before returning against New Orleans.

What kind of numbers could he post over the rest of 2026-27?

Well, he won’t average 45 a night. Realistically, if Jerome could replicate last year’s production without getting injured, that would be a successful season.

Whether he finishes it out with the Grizzlies is a different matter.

For some time, I’ve been designating Jerome as a trade candidate. Perhaps my early-season overreaction is to wonder whether Memphis could keep Jerome and have a competitive season.

Jerome is making $9,220,050 this season and holds a $9,659,100 player option for 2027-28. In September, Grizzlies Roundtable reported that an NBA scout expects Memphis to trade Jerome before the 2027 trade deadline.

Who knows how it’ll work out? One thing is certain: No matter where Jerome winds up, he’ll be a massive contributor. By the end of the season, if he can stay healthy and keep producing, nobody’s going to be calling him underrated anymore:

He’ll be rated among the league’s best guards instead.