Coming off a surprise season, the Detroit Pistons are expected to bolster their upstart roster during this summer’s free agency. Among their reported targets is a 2025 NBA Sixth Man of the Year finalist from a division rival, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Pistons enjoyed a historic turnaround, going from the NBA’s worst record last season (14-68) to the Eastern Conference’s No. 6 seed (44-38). Despite a first-round exit, they have several foundational pieces, notably franchise guard Cade Cunningham, two-way wing Ausar Thompson and big man Jalen Duren.
With numerous team-friendly contracts on the books, Detroit has an opportunity to pursue veteran talent. According to the Detroit Free Press, the team could have as much as $27 million in cap space this offseason. That financial flexibility could position it to weaken the East’s No. 1-seeded Cavaliers (64-18).
Pistons Linked to Cleveland’s Ty Jerome in NBA Free Agency
Per Hoops Wire‘s Sam Amico, Detroit “could have interest” in Jerome, citing the guard’s familiarity with Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff, under whom he played in Cleveland last season.
Jerome exceeded expectations in his sixth NBA season, rising from a seldom-used reserve to finish third in Sixth Man of the Year voting. His savvy playmaking and efficient scoring helped make him a staple in the Cavaliers’ league-best offense (121.0 offensive rating).
Cleveland flamed out in the playoffs, falling in five games to the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers (50-32) in the second round, with Jerome’s production dipping. Still, the veteran guard is expected to command a significant raise after completing a modest two-year, $5 million deal.
Over 70 games this season, Jerome averaged 12.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.6 3-pointers per game. He did so on elite 51.6/43.9/87.2 shooting splits.
However, Amico noted that Jerome “leaving for the Pistons, at the moment, is considered a long shot.”
Cleveland ‘Hopeful’ To Retain Jerome in NBA Free Agency
While Jerome is expected to be in high demand, Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman expressed optimism that the team can keep him — though he acknowledged Jerome may have played his way out of Cleveland’s budget.
“Love to keep. We’re hopeful,” Altman said. “… When guys find that confidence in this system, their value gets driven up. Right, same thing with Sam Merrill. You want to call these guys end-of-bench players before that have become real rotational players and valuable within the ecosystem, not just us. And so, I think the good news is those guys are going to do really well for themselves.”
Cleveland Cavaliers President Koby Altman on free agent guard Ty Jerome: “Love to keep him. We’re hopeful.”
“When guys find that confidence in (Kenny Atkinson’s) system, their value gets driven up. Same thing with Sam Merrill. You want to call these guys end of bench players… pic.twitter.com/VdotHJxg4z
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto)
Cleveland is already projected to exceed the second apron next season, meaning re-signing Jerome could limit the team’s flexibility in future roster-building efforts.
