Luka Dončić, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are set to begin their 2025 NBA Playoff against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round, but plenty of personnel concerns could lead to an unfortunate, premature postseason elimination for the storied organization.
Despite playing well enough to clinch the Western Conference's No. 3 seed with a 50-32 record, their pronounced lack of frontcourt depth and overall offensive reinforcements may spell their eventual doom.
In an effort to correct these issues, it's plausible to believe that the franchise's general manager Rob Pelinka will scour both the trade and free agent markets to bolster the group's bench unit this summer. If he chooses the latter, the Cleveland Cavaliers' surging guard and soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Ty Jerome might be a perfect candidate to lead the Lakers' reserves in 2025-26.
"Ty Jerome went from nearly out of the league to arguably the best backup point guard in the NBA, and he could certainly start for a number of teams," ClutchPoints' Bailey Bassett wrote Tuesday afternoon.
"The Cavaliers have a lot of money invested into their current roster, so they are vulnerable to losing Jerome in free agency."
"Multiple teams out there will likely look into investing in him as their long-term point guard."
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At 27 years old, Jerome has become one of the league's most reliable and efficient backup point guards, as he's contributed 12.5 points, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals while knocking down a blistering 43.9% of his looks from three-point range in 70 appearances for Cleveland in 2024-25.
Jerome is much more than a distance shooter, though, as his incredible ball-handling ability and footwork gives him the ability to attack the rim consistently and finish with soft floaters and push shots.
The former No. 24 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft to the Philadelphia 76ers has become an integral piece of a fantastic Cavaliers team that finished the regular season with a 68-14 record and the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed, but the 6-year veteran could be driven out due to the franchise's lack of cap space.
If paired with both James and Dončić, Jerome could prove to be an incredibly important piece to a true contender in the West, as he'd be tasked with rejuvenating the team's bench as a sensational scorer and facilitator.