When the Portland Trail Blazers agreed to buy out center Deandre Ayton this weekend they left open a roster spot and potential dollars to spend. One of the obvious ways they might do it is by employing their Mid-Level Exception this summer.
The Mid-Level Exception, or MLE, is a workaround granted to NBA teams that are over the salary cap, enabling them to sign players they otherwise couldn’t. This year teams with salary ledgers over the cap line but below the first luxury tax apron will be able to offer up to $14.1 million to players in free agency.
Portland fans are understandably curious about their team’s designs for the MLE, as evidenced by this Blazer’s Edge Mailbag question.
Dave,
Will we get a third consecutive summer of silence in the free agent market? I know we’re not a prime destination for free agents but signing nobody can’t be good. How will [General Manager Joe] Cronin use our MLE? What targets would you choose with it?
Joe
The Blazers may not end up using their exception. It hasn’t made sense to over the past couple seasons. Accordingly, they haven’t touched an MLE since signing Duop Reath in February of 2024. But if they do, one player recently came free who might help them.
The Cleveland Cavaliers just traded forward Isaac Okoro to the Chicago Bulls for guard Lonzo Ball. Cleveland already had a deep and wide guard stable. The move leaves unrestricted free agent Ty Jerome out in the cold.
For those unfamiliar, Jerome just finished his sixth season in the NBA. He was selected 24th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. The 6’5 shooting guard has spent time with the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and Oklahoma City Thunder as well as the Cavs.
Jerome would be attractive to Portland because of his tenacity. He’s got fight in him, a quality sometimes missing from the Blazers guard corps. He played defense well last year after recommitting himself to that side of the ball. He averaged 1.1 steals in 19.9 minutes. That gives him a per-minute and per-possession steal rate greater than Toumani Camara. Jerome also shot 43.9% from the three-point arc with 3.6 attempts per game. If it holds, that percentage would instantly make him the best shooter on the team.
Jerome is not a star, but you don’t expect to get stars with a Mid-Level Exception. Cleveland got more talent when they acquired Ball. They may have lost part of their heart, though. Portland could be in position to scoop that up. Jerome would become an active, disruptive veteran with experience on good teams, playing in a backcourt that’s suddenly looking a little thin with the departure of Anfernee Simons via trade.
Portland used their last two lottery picks on centers. Their forward positions are still pretty stacked. It’d make sense to get a sixth-man guard via free agency. It would pay off immediately. And Jerome is young enough (28) to grow with the franchise over the next few seasons too. Basically there’s nothing wrong with this move.
The Charlotte Hornets are supposedly chasing Jerome, but that competition shouldn’t put his cost above the MLE level. He may even sign below it. The Trail Blazers may not be able to compete with the Lakers and Knicks for free agents, but hopefully they can square off against the 19-63 Hornets and come out ahead.
For all those reasons, Jerome would be my top MLE target if I had a say. Who would yours be, though? Free agency talks open up this afternoon. If the Blazers are going to go at it, who do you hope they get? Share your thoughts, and candidates, in the comment section below.
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