In the high-stakes poker game of NBA free agency, the Memphis Grizzlies entered the offseason holding a limited hand. With their financial resources rightly prioritized towards securing franchise cornerstone Jaren Jackson Jr., the front office was relegated to operating as a “room team,” possessing just one significant tool: the room exception. It was with this modest chip that EVP Zach Kleiman decided to place a surprising, long-shot bet on guard Ty Jerome.
To Kleiman’s own admitted surprise, the Hail Mary move paid off. The pursuit of Jerome was a classic case of a team seeing a player’s value diverging from the perceived market. As Kleiman shared with ClutchPoints, internal projections for Jerome were significantly higher than the contract the Grizzlies were able to offer.
“Ty is someone that, as we got into free agency this offseason, we projected him at a higher level,” Kleiman explained. “The only free agent exception that we had, given that we were going to prioritize for good reason a re-negotiation and extension with Jaren Jackson Jr. and operate as a room team, was the room exception. Ty Jerome was someone we thought was going to fall into the full mid-level exception.”
The room exception is significantly less lucrative than the mid-level, and the Grizzlies were competing against teams with deeper pockets. But the Kleiman and Tuomas Iisalo reached out anyway, banking on something more valuable than dollars: the right fit.
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Iisalo's motion-heavy, spacing-obsessed scheme seemed tailor-made for a +40% three-point shooter with a knack for off-ball movement and secondary creation.
“We nonetheless tried to make a pitch to his camp and really help them understand the fit that we saw here,” added Kleiman. “We had a real belief that Ty could be successful in the system and take a step forward.”
Still, the Grizzlies braced for rejection. The belief was one thing. Getting a player to buy into it, especially when real money was being left on the table, was another. In a candid admission, Kleiman confirmed the sacrifice Jerome made to don the Beale Street blue.
“Ty turned down opportunities that financially were better than the one thing we could offer,” Kleiman admitted. “We are excited that we have in all three of our veteran acquisitions, guys who wanted to be part of this team. They wanted to be here in Memphis; I think they will bring a lot to this group.”
Kleiman attributes the locker room's excitement to Jerome's intangibles, the kind that pop on tape but shine brighter up close.
“In terms of Ty's shooting ability, Ty's playmaking ability, and competitiveness in the time I've spent getting to know him,” began Kleiman, “it is clear why he has been able to emerge (as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate). So much of it is the level of care and competitiveness in what he brings to the table.”
This wasn't a reluctant signing; it was mutual courtship. Jerome saw the Grizzlies as a launchpad, not a consolation prize. In return, Memphis gained a veteran who bought in from day one. Jerome’s decision is a tangible victory for what the Grizzlies are building culturally. It is also a victory that may pay dividends on the court far exceeding the value of a room exception.
Kleiman's Grizzlies bet on culture, system, and opportunity over financial might. Jerome bet on himself and the chance to thrive in Iisalo's up-tempo system while supporting Ja Morant. This was a Hail Mary for both sides, sure, but one that is arguably the summer's savviest move. It's the ultimate underdog arc, proving that sometimes, the best bets are the ones no one else sees coming.
