Ty Jerome Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Grizzlies’ Pippen Undergoes Toe Surgery, Out At Least 12 Weeks

October 21st, 2025 at 5:05pm CST by Rory Maher

Oct. 21: The surgery on Pippen’s left big toe took place on Tuesday, the team’s PR department tweets. As initially reported, he’ll be reevaluated in approximately 12 weeks, according to the Grizzlies.

Oct. 18: Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. is undergoing a sesamoidectomy to address a lingering left big toe injury, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).

Memphis said a return timeline wouldn’t be given until after the procedure, but Pippen is expected to make a full recovery. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who first reported the news (via Twitter), Pippen is expected to miss at least 12 weeks, which is when he’ll be reevaluated.

It’s a tough blow for the Grizzlies, who have been hit hard by injuries over the past couple years, a trend that has continued before the 2025/26 regular season even gets underway.

In addition to Pippen, who reportedly won’t make his season debut until at least January, second-year center Zach Edey continues to recover from left ankle surgery, veteran big man Brandon Clarke recently underwent a knee procedure, and star point guard Ja Morant has been battling a left ankle sprain. The team is optimistic that Morant might be ready for next week’s season opener, but Edey and Clarke may not be back until November.

Former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. also went offseason surgery to address a turf toe injury, but he should be ready for the opener after appearing in the team’s final two preseason contests.

Pippen, who turns 25 next month, was a key reserve for the Grizzlies last season, appearing in a career-high 79 games while averaging 9.9 points, 4.4 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 21.3 minutes per night. He posted a shooting slash line of .480/.397/.713.

Ty Jerome would typically be a prime candidate for more playing time with Pippen out, but he might be sidelined for a while too — he exited Friday’s preseason finale with a right calf injury, per the team (Twitter link), and will be reevaluated this weekend, according to head coach Tuomas Iisalo (Twitter link via Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com).

Second-year guard Cam Spencer and rookie second-rounder Javon Small, who is on a two-way deal, should receive additional run in the Grizzlies’ backcourt.

Grizzlies’ Ty Jerome Out At Least Four Weeks With Calf Strain

October 20th, 2025 at 5:32pm CST by Rory Maher

Ty Jerome has been diagnosed with a high-grade right calf strain and will be out at least four weeks, which is when he’ll be reexamined, the Grizzlies announced in a press release (Twitter link).

Jerome sustained the injury in Friday’s preseason finale vs. Miami. He was a key free agent addition this summer for Memphis, which signed the 28-year-old combo guard to a three-year, $27.7MM deal using the room exception.

It’s another unfortunate injury development for the Grizzlies, who will be without Scotty Pippen Jr. for at least 12 weeks due to left big toe surgery. Zach Edey (offseason ankle surgery) and Brandon Clarke (knee surgery) are among the other projected rotation players expected to miss time to open the new season.

With all four players expected to miss multiple weeks, the Grizzlies should qualify for a 10-day hardship exception after their third game of the season, observes Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian (Twitter link). Herrington lists a handful of free agents — including Charles Bassey and Jared Butler — who could appeal to the Grizzlies, depending on whether they prioritize a big man or a guard.

A hardship exception allows a team to temporarily add a 16th man if there are at least four players on the roster who have missed three or more consecutive games and project to remain sidelined for at least two more weeks.

Jerome averaged 12.5 points, 3.4 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 70 games last season for Cleveland (19.9 minutes per contest). He also posted an elite shooting line of .516/.439/.872 and finished third in voting for the Sixth Man of the Year award.

Rookie second-rounder Javon Small and second-year guard Cam Spencer are among the candidates for more playing time in the Grizzlies’ backcourt.

Injuries Leave Grizzlies Seeking Backcourt Help

October 20th, 2025 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies are considering adding another guard in the wake of multiple backcourt injuries, league sources tell Grant Afseth of RG.org. Memphis’ front office is looking at internal and external options to stabilize the team’s depth chart, Afseth adds.

Scotty Pippen Jr. became the latest significant loss over the weekend as the team announced that he’ll undergo surgery on his left big toe. Pippen doesn’t have a projected timeline to return, but he won’t be reevaluated for 12 weeks. He averaged 9.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 79 games last season and made 21 starts.

Ja Morant is week-to-week after spraining his left ankle during practice in early October. There’s hope that he’ll be ready for Wednesday’s opener, but his status remains uncertain. Coach Tuomas Iisalo said Morant is “progressing really well” and was able to participate in the shootaround before Friday’s preseason finale in Miami.

“Ja continues to work with our group,” Iisalo said. “He’s ramping up well, but we’ll keep being cautious.”

[Update: Morant is expected to play in Memphis’ opener].

The injury issues mounted when offseason addition Ty Jerome left Friday’s game early after hurting his right calf. No updates have been provided on his condition, but he may also have to miss some time.

[Update: Jerome will miss at least four weeks with a high-grade right calf strain].

Afseth states that Memphis is assessing the players who became available Saturday when most teams made their final roster cuts. The Grizzlies are already at the maximum of 15 standard contracts, but they could open a two-way slot to get guard help while their rotation players heal. That would mean waiving either PJ Hall, Olivier-Maxence Prosper or Javon Small, the team’s current two-way players.

Small could be an option if Memphis decides to address the problem internally, Afseth adds. The rookie out of West Virginia was impressive during the preseason, averaging 10.8 points, 4.8 assists and 1.8 rebounds in four games while shooting 44.7% from the field and 52.9% from three-point range.

Western Notes: Connelly, Washington, Jerome, Beal

August 28th, 2025 at 10:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly had the ability to opt out of his contract with the team this offseason but chose not to do so, as Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets.

When Connelly was hired by the Wolves in 2022, he received a five-year deal that included an opt-out clause after the second season. He and the team agreed in 2024 to push that opt-out back by a year with the ownership situation still up in the air, but now that Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez have assumed majority control, Connelly decided not to take advantage of the clause this summer.

Since he’s still on his initial five-year deal, Connelly is under contract with the Wolves for two more seasons, Krawczynski notes. Assuming Lore and Rodriguez are satisfied with the job he has done, the veteran executive figures to be an extension candidate in 2026.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

With P.J. Washington set to become extension-eligible on Friday, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News weighs the pros and cons of a new deal for Washington from the Mavericks‘ perspective. Like NBA insider Marc Stein, Curtis has heard that an extension for Washington is likely, though he cautions that the exact terms of the deal remain unclear. Washington would be eligible to receive up to nearly $89MM over four years.
The Grizzlies need elite shooting, two-way play-making, and swagger from newcomer Ty Jerome, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, who takes a closer look at the veteran guard to whom the team devoted its full room exception.
Appearing on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue pointed out that Bradley Beal put up “unbelievable stats” for the Suns over the past two seasons but was “overshadowed” as the third option behind stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker (hat tip to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). “I think by coming here, I think it’s a fresh start and I think he’s going to be great for us,” Lue said of Beal, who signed with the Clippers after being bought out by Phoenix.

Contract Details: Aldama, Jerome, Spencer, Booker, Jackson, Broome

July 16th, 2025 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

The three-year, $52.5MM contract that restricted free agent Santi Aldama signed with the Grizzlies includes a third-year team option, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The deal is front-loaded, with an $18.49MM salary in year one before it dips to $17MM in year two. The team option for 2027/28 is also worth $17MM.

Meanwhile, the three-year, $27.66MM deal that Ty Jerome finalized with the Grizzlies is worth the full room exception, as expected. Jerome’s contract – which includes a third-year player option, as previously reported – also features a 15% trade kicker, notes Scotto (Twitter link).

Finally, Cam Spencer‘s new four-year contract with Memphis is worth roughly $10.4MM in total. The team used cap room to give Spencer a salary of $2,537,989 in year one, with minimum salaries for the remaining three years of the deal, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. As previously reported, the first three seasons are fully guaranteed, with a fourth-year team option for 2028/29.

Here are a few more details on some of the recently signed contracts from around the NBA:

Devin Booker‘s new two-year, maximum-salary extension with the Suns only features one fully guaranteed year. The second season is a player option for the 2029/30 season, tweets Scotto.
Isaiah Jackson‘s three-year, $21MM contract with the Pacers is front-loaded, Hoops Rumors has learned. Jackson will earn $7.6MM in 2025/26, followed by salaries of $7MM in ’26/27 and $6.4MM in ’27/28.
Johni Broome‘s four-year contract with the Sixers, previously said to be guaranteed for two seasons, is worth $8.69MM, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. That means Broome will be earning his minimum salary in each year of the deal, starting with a cap hit of $1,272,870 in year one.

Grizzlies Sign Ty Jerome To Three-Year Deal

July 14th, 2025 at 6:16pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 14: The signing is official, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter link).

JUNE 30: The Grizzlies will sign free agent guard Ty Jerome to a three-year contract worth $28MM, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The deal will include a third-year player option, Charania adds.

It has been a busy Monday evening for the Grizzlies, who had already agreed to new deals with Jaren Jackson Jr., Santi Aldama, and Cam Spencer. Jerome’s contract will come out of the room exception, which can be worth up to about $27.7MM over three seasons.

Reports leading up to free agency stated that Memphis was the frontrunner to sign Jerome, who is coming off a career year with Cleveland in which he averaged 12.5 points, 3.4 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 70 games (19.9 minutes per contest). He also posted an elite shooting line of .516/.439/.872.

While Jerome was excellent in the Cavaliers’ first-round playoff series vs. Miami, he struggled mightily on both ends of the court in their second-round loss to Indiana. That may have limited his earnings potential to an extent.

Still, it’s surprising that Jerome will “only” make $27.7MM over the next three years, considering the Cavs agreed to give another backup guard — Sam Merrill — a four-year, $38MM deal. Merrill is a better defender, but Jerome was far more productive on offense last season.

Either way, Jerome will secure the first major payday of his career as he nears his 28th birthday (July 8).

Southwest Notes: Flagg, Harper, Morant, Murphy, Peavy

July 13th, 2025 at 8:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The top two picks in this year’s draft put on a show for Summer League fans as they matched up Saturday in Las Vegas, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN. Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg thrilled the crowd with a few highlight dunks on his way to 31 points, while Spurs guard Dylan Harper countered with 16 points in his Summer League debut after recovering from a minor groin injury.

“[There’s] not a better time to come back [than] in a game like this and a crowd as electrifying as this,” Harper said. “He had a good game. I had a good game. We kind of just showed the NBA world what we’re about.”

Saturday’s matchup should be the beginning of a long rivalry for Flagg and Harper. Considered to be the top two prospects in this year’s class by a wide margin, they wound up joining teams with established talent already in place when Dallas and San Antonio both defied the odds at the lottery. They’ll meet four times a year as division opponents and may have a few playoff matchups in their future.

“We’re going to play them a lot this year,” Harper said. “So, the future battles are going to be great. One thing that we’ve both got: We’re just competitors. We’re going to go out and compete.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Grizzlies guard Ja Morant said he was surprised by the trade of longtime backcourt partner Desmond Bane and addressed a few other topics in an interview with Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (subscriber link). “I was shocked, personally,” Morant said. “I got the message from Des. To see it all over the internet, I thought the (expletive) was fake, honestly. It’s best for both sides. Des is going to a very talented Orlando team. I feel like he’s the piece that they’ve been missing.” Morant added that the additions of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the trade and Ty Jerome in free agency should make Memphis a better team.
Appearing Saturday on ESPN, Pelicans forward Trey Murphy provided an update on his progress since undergoing surgery in late March for a torn labrum in his right shoulder (Twitter video link from Pelicans Film Room). “I feel pretty good,” Murphy said. “I have started up my skill workouts. I am able to do things without restriction. Just waiting to get cleared for contact.”
X-rays were negative for an ankle injury suffered by Pelicans rookie shooting guard Micah Peavy, according to Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link). The second-round pick was held out of Saturday’s game.

Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Jerome, Kennard, Capela, Lakers, Bulls, More

June 30th, 2025 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

In their latest round-up of scuttlebutt ahead of the start of free agency on Monday, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) reiterate or confirm a few of the rumors that have been percolating in recent days, writing that Dennis Schröder appears to be on track to join the Kings on a two-year deal worth the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, while D’Angelo Russell is widely expected to join the Mavericks on a two-year deal that utilizes the taxpayer mid-level.

Stein and Fischer also stress that the Grizzlies are increasingly regarded as the favorites to land free agent guard Ty Jerome, with rival teams expecting him to sign for a deal in the neighborhood of $9-10MM annually (Twitter link).

Additionally, Stein and Fischer confirm that the Rockets are now eyeing Luke Kennard in addition to Dorian Finney-Smith. Besides Houston, the Hawks and Nuggets are considered potential suitors for Kennard, one of the league’s best outside shooters, according to The Stein Line duo.

Here are a few more fresh pieces of intel from Stein and Fischer:

The Clippers are viewed as a viable candidate to land free agent center Clint Capela. Los Angeles is known to be in the market for an Ivica Zubac backup, with Drew Eubanks not expected to return.
If the Lakers end up losing Finney-Smith in free agency, they’re expected to express interest in another talented perimeter defender, De’Anthony Melton, Stein and Fischer report. Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link) has also heard that there’s mutual interest between Melton and the Lakers. The veteran guard signed for the full non-taxpayer mid-level a year ago, but seems unlikely to land another deal in that range after missing nearly the entire season with a torn ACL.
There’s a “strong expectation” that free agent point guard Tre Jones will remain with the Bulls, Stein and Fischer say. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network previously reported that the odds of a reunion between the two sides were rising following the team’s Lonzo Ball trade.
The Bucks are working on potential Pat Connaughton trade scenarios and have a couple possible pathways to a deal, per Stein and Fischer. Milwaukee would likely have to attach a sweetener to move Connaughton, but perhaps could acquire a player in return who would upgrade the rotation.
The Wizards have been gauging the trade market for a pair of veterans on expiring contracts, guard Marcus Smart and big man Kelly Olynyk, Stein and Fischer write. Olynyk technically isn’t even a Wizard yet, as the deal sending him from New Orleans to Washington will become official after the July moratorium — it sounds like there’s a chance he’s flipped to another team.
DeMarre Carroll and former Wizards assistant Brian Randle are expected to have two of the front-of-bench spots on Jordan Ott‘s coaching staff, but the new Suns coach is still seeking a lead assistant who has previous head coaching experience, according to Stein and Fischer.

Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Jerome, Finney-Smith, Turner, Russell, T. Jones, Paul

June 30th, 2025 at 8:49am CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies appear to be the leaders in the race to sign free agent guard Ty Jerome, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Jerome is coming off a breakout season, but his salary demands are too high for a Cleveland team on the brink of the second apron, so he’s considered a “lock” to leave in free agency. Stein previously mentioned Charlotte and Utah as other teams to watch for Jerome, but Memphis might be separating itself from the pack.

The main question, according to the authors, is how much the Grizzlies are willing to pay Jerome, who is believed to be seeking a deal starting around the $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception to Jerome. Memphis has been operating recently with the goal of creating enough financial flexibility to renegotiate and extend Jaren Jackson Jr. while matching any offers for restricted free agent forward Santi Aldama, so any offer for Jerome couldn’t get in the way of those goals.

League sources tell Stein and Fischer that the Grizzlies tried to find a taker for Cole Anthony over the weekend. Sending out Anthony’s $13.1MM contract could enable Memphis to acquire Jerome via sign-and-trade.

There’s more inside information from Stein and Fischer:

As reported on Sunday, the Rockets appear to be the top threat to sign Dorian Finney-Smith away from the Lakers. Houston has the $14.1MM MLE available, but the authors hear that its offer may cover four years at a little less than the full amount. L.A. is still hoping to re-sign the 32-year-old forward, who was a part-time starter after being acquired from Brooklyn in December. Finney-Smith turned down a $15.4MM player option on Sunday, and Stein and Fischer report surprise throughout the league that his announcement wasn’t accompanied by a new deal with the Lakers.
There’s “no tangible expectation” that Myles Turner will leave the Pacers in free agency, according to Stein and Fischer. There was some speculation that Indiana might reconsider a new deal with its starting center in the wake of Tyrese Haliburton‘s Achilles injury, but coach Rick Carlisle seemed to squash that when he said on a radio interview last week that re-signing Turner remains the team’s “No. 1 priority.”
The Mavericks are expected to use their $5.7MM taxpayer MLE to sign Nets guard D’Angelo Russell to a two-year deal, Stein and Fischer add. Even with that addition, which would be the team’s 15th standard contract, they state that Dallas still hopes to open a roster spot to re-sign Dante Exum. The authors expect the Mavs to search for a team willing to take on Olivier-Maxence Prosper‘s $3MM contract for next season. The 2023 first-round pick has a $5.3MM team option for 2026/27, so it’s potentially a one-year commitment.
The Magic‘s decision on Sunday to decline an $11MM option on Moritz Wagner and a $2.1MM option on Caleb Houstan could create an opportunity to sign free agent point guard Tyus Jones. If Jones leaves Phoenix, Stein and Fischer speculate it could lead to Chris Paul returning to the Suns, as they first reported on Sunday.

Stein’s Latest: NAW, Schröder, Jerome, Grimes, Kornet, Nuggets

June 29th, 2025 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons and the Hawks have been described as the two best bets to sign Nickeil Alexander-Walker away from the Timberwolves when free agency gets underway, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).

Both Detroit and Atlanta have previously been reported as potential suitors for Alexander-Walker, along with teams like the Clippers and Magic. The expectation is that he’ll command offers in the range of the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which will start at a projected $14.1MM. He might even end up getting more than that, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

While Minnesota has expressed a desire to retain Alexander-Walker, the club has already committed to Naz Reid on a lucrative new five-year deal and is expected to retain Julius Randle as well. Re-signing Alexander-Walker to a market-value contract would likely send the Wolves’ team salary soaring beyond the second tax apron.

As for the Pistons, there has been consistent reporting this week indicating that their free agent guard Dennis Schröder may end up signing with the Kings. While Schröder didn’t exactly confirm that this weekend during a Twitch stream, he suggested he’s unlikely to return to Detroit.

“I want to stay in Detroit for sure, but Detroit ain’t waiting for me, I can tell you that much,” Schröder said (Twitter video link). “Detroit ain’t waiting for me.”

Here’s more from Stein:

The Hornets and Grizzlies have been consistently mentioned as teams expected to pursue free agent guard Ty Jerome, according to Stein. Reporting earlier today indicated that Utah also may be in the mix for the Sixth Man of the Year finalist, who is now considered a “lock” to leave the Cavaliers, per Stein.
Sixers restricted free agent Quentin Grimes is expected to land a starting salary of at least $16MM, Stein reports. Assuming he gets that offer from Philadelphia, it would be enough to outbid any rival suitors that might be willing to give him the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
The Clippers, who are in the market for a center to back up Ivica Zubac, are considered a team to watch for free agent big man Luke Kornet, writes Stein.
The Nuggets, who are eyeing potential assistant coaches for David Adelman‘s staff, have been granted permission to interview Mavericks assistant Jared Dudley and have also exhibited “strong” interest in former NBA guard J.J. Barea, per Stein (Twitter links). Barea had been coaching the Guaynabo Mets in his native Puerto Rico over the past couple years before being let go last month.