There’s something brutal about being thanked for your service when you didn’t even know you were leaving. Ty Jerome knows that feeling now. The kind of thank you that’s printed on a balloon and tied to the door after you’ve already packed up your stuff. The kind of goodbye that smells like closure… but tastes like unfinished business. Because while Cavs fans were posting emotional farewells, Jerome quietly dropped one of his own.

Only his version came with a stinger. “Although I was never presented with the option of returning nor did last season end how I wanted to,” Jerome wrote on his Instagram story, after reposting a message from Cavs Headline, a fan page, that read, “Thank you for EVERYTHING Ty Jerome🙏.” Ty added, “Cleveland, this past year will always hold a special place in my heart… I will never forget all that this year brought.” Translation?

He didn’t walk out. He was just never asked to stay. That ought to hurt, man. And just when fans started wondering if this was about role, or money, or maybe even Sam Merrill, in stepped Brian Windhorst with a not-so-subtle clarification. “I don’t think they chose Sam Merrill over Ty Jerome,” Windhorst said. “I think they chose Lonzo Ball over Ty Jerome.” And just like that, it’s not about offensive firepower.

It’s not about three-point percentages or playmaking craft. It’s about one thing: perimeter defense. And about what went horribly wrong in Indiana. “They attacked him every single time,” Windhorst said, referring to the Cavaliers’ second-round series collapse. “While Ty was awesome this year, in the playoffs against Indiana when they went down, he could not get a stop.” And that’s the thing, people.

Ty Jerome was good last season. He was a knockdown shooter, a cool-headed creator, and someone who seemed to thrive in more improvisational lineups. But playoff basketball is a different animal. And when you become the defensive target, NBA front offices start sharpening their pencils. But that’s not all, people. “Lonzo Ball, if he’s healthy — and of course it’s an if — he will give them a better opportunity defensively,” Windhorst said. But why is Lonzo playing a big “if”?

It’s because Lonzo Ball hasn’t played an NBA game since January 2022. His recovery from multiple knee surgeries, including a rare cartilage transplant, has been anything but routine. Every time there’s hope, another setback seems to follow. The Bulls gave up waiting. Now it’s Cleveland rolling the dice on a comeback that, while enticing on paper, remains one of the biggest question marks in the league. Windhorst went on to break it down even further. 

Why Ty was the odd man out

“Lonzo Ball is not a dynamic offensive creator like Ty Jerome is… he’s probably not going to be the three-point shooter that he was.” So what are the Cavs getting instead? A player who (again, if healthy) gives them more size, better switching options, and a much-needed dose of defensive versatility. Even if it means sacrificing shot-making and creativity. Windhorst summed it up best.

“They are going to absolutely be giving stuff up on that part of the ball. But they are going to get a player that, if he’s healthy, is a significantly better defender, better size, better positionality, flexibility, better defense, unquestionably.” In other words? Cleveland saw the replay of the Indiana series, saw Jerome getting cooked in switches, and decided they couldn’t risk that again. No matter how silky his shot looked. Still, the way this went down?

That’s the part that stings. There was no public farewell, no rumors of negotiation. Just a fan page, thank you post… and an Instagram caption that read like a breakup text. Jerome handled it with class, sure. But don’t confuse that with peace. Because for all the talk about fit and flexibility and defensive rotations, there’s also a human side here — a guy who clearly thought he had more to give in Cleveland, and never got the call.

And in a league where relationships matter almost as much as skill, it’s hard not to wonder if this goodbye will linger longer than the Cavs intended. Ty didn’t say it with bitterness. But he said it with clarity. They moved on. He wasn’t done. Now all that’s left is to see where the next thank you lands. And maybe this time, it’ll actually come with a contract.