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'It looks like this is real': Ty Jerome helped De'Andre Hunter trade become possible
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- 'It looks like this is real': Ty Jerome helped De'Andre Hunter trade become possible
CLEVELAND — Ty Jerome wasn't just pleased to see former college teammate and close friend De'Andre Hunter traded to the Cavaliers . He was also a major part in making it possible.
Jerome has been enjoying the best season of his career virtually across the board. Primarily coming off the bench, he's averaged 11.3 points on 51.6% shooting from the floor and 43% from 3-point range.
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He has a 64.1 true shooting percentage (which effectively combines 2-point, 3-point and free throw attempts into one number), the third-best figure on the team among regular rotation members. He's accrued 3.9 Win Shares.
All of those figures are career bests.
Jerome has been so good in this bench role, in fact, that he messed up coach Kenny Atkinson's initial plans during training camp.
The 27-year-old guard had never played more than 45 games in a season and had just virtually missed the entirety of the 2023-24 season with an ankle issue. Given the lack of recent film and the uncertainty about his rehab from ankle surgery, it's understandable Atkinson originally planned Jerome to be at the very end of the rotation, primarily playing in garage time or in case of injury.
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Jerome's ability to score in spurts off the bench forced Atkinson's hand, and he's now averaging 24.1 minutes in his last 10 games while carving out a larger role.
"It makes my job harder, believe it or not," Atkinson said with a laugh recently, describing how Jerome has pushed his way into more playing time in the rotation. "When this season started, I did not pencil him into the rotation. I should probably tell him that before I tell you guys, but too late now."
Atkinson had some experience with Jerome. The pair were together in Golden State in 2022-23, when Atkinson was an assistant coach. But he hadn't seen this version of Jerome.
It's a problem he's glad to have.
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"This is just completely unexpected," Atkinson said. "So it throws off your rotation, now you're like, 'OK, it throws other guys' minutes [off], but that's great.' That's what competition's about. That's what building a team's about."
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome (2) drives to the basket against Dallas Mavericks guard Quentin Grimes (5) on Feb. 2, 2025, in Cleveland.
Ty Jerome , De'Andre Hunter reunited on Cleveland Cavaliers after trade
Jerome's breakout might have paved the way for the Cavs' deadline deal. In acquiring Hunter , the Cavs added a 6-foot-8 wing who can add some "positional size" on the defensive end and provide from extra spacing on the offensive end with his 3-point shooting.
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In order to bring in Hunter, who filled a key need in the rotation, the Cavs had to send away Georges Niang and, perhaps more notably, Caris LeVert . The latter was someone who often took over ball-handling duties off the bench aside from Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland in the starting lineup.
Without Jerome showing he not only can handle those responsibilities, but that he can force his way to deserving more minutes, the Cavs might not have felt safe dealing LeVert.
"Ty has been a revelation this year, and he plays with basketball IQ, his ball-handling, his playmaking," said president of basketball operations Koby Altman. "Ty can handle the pressure of bringing it up. And so, yes, Ty certainly alleviates the need for the ball to be in Donovan and Darius' hands all the time."
In Monday's 128-107 win over the Timberwolves — Hunter's debut with the Cavs — Jerome scored 15 points and had four assists in 24 minutes. His biggest play came with only a few seconds left in the third quarter when he stole a pass, barely took half a step and buried a 3-pointer as time expired.
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There's always a question with this kind of a breakout if it's genuine, or if the sample size is enough to really draw major conclusions. The Cavs believe it's all legitimate.
Mitchell and Garland are both headed to the All-Star Game . Jerome has joined them, at least as a key player in the Cavs' backcourt rotation.
"It looks like this is real," Atkinson said. "This is going to be extended, really excited for him and us going forward. He could be a playoff contributor for sure."
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs guard Ty Jerome's breakout made De'Andre Hunter trade possible
