Cavaliers president basically admits Spurs' perfect target will be available

Ty Jerome is an unrestricted free agent now that the Cleveland Cavaliers have been eliminated from the playoffs, and he's unlikely to return to his former team. Team President Koby Altman conducted his exit interview with the media, where he expressed his desire to keep his team together, while also admitting that the CBA restrictions will make that almost impossible.

"We'd love to keep Ty, but we'll see what the marketplace holds." - Koby Altman

Jerome shot a blistering 44% from three this season. That's a flamethrower the Spurs need to stick in their tool shed. His efficiency dropped in the playoffs, but he still averaged 39% from deep. You expect players to suffer some drop-off in the postseason since they're up against tougher, more focused defenses. He kept himself well above league average, though, and that counts for a lot.

Jerome's priority status should be very high for Spurs' offseason plans

In most cases, you'd probably want to decide what you're going to do with the number two overall pick before you address anything else on your roster. If you trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, or some other surprise star, the team will look significantly different. That new version might dictate whatever the next move should be. I don't feel that way about this offseason.

The Spurs need to add reliable shooters. Period. They've gone too long as a below-average ball club in that area, and it's time to put real resources into fixing it.

Most people believe that San Antonio plans to draft Dylan Harper with the number two pick. That would be a fantastic decision for the franchise, but that doesn't change their need for snipers, so they need to go to the range to find some with experience. Jerome can help, and convincing him to come to Alamo City to play next to Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox shouldn't be very difficult.

The 27-year-old shooting guard averaged 12.5 points per game off the bench and added 3.4 assists. His 51.6% efficiency as a perimeter player suggests he takes smart shots, and his stats overall tell us that he's unselfish. Those qualities fit perfectly in a Spurs offense.

He didn't have a great playoff series against the Pacers, but that team was compromised. Three major players in the Cavs' rotation missed a game for various injuries, and they weren't all right when they returned. Donovan Mitchell limped his way to the finish, powering through an injury that was clearly impacting him when his team was on the brink of elimination.

That allowed an already impressive Pacers defense to play more aggressively on a player like Jerome. It was also the first year Ty has been in the playoffs, and the experience will help him grow. I imagine it will be much harder to play so close to Jerome if defenses have to worry about Fox and Wembanyama.

It's really a good thing that he had a setback in that series, because had his performance in the first round continued, his price would have ballooned. Hopefully, San Antonio sees it the same way and makes Jerome a priority. The Silver and Black need that kind of shooter.