Jerome picked up by defending champion Golden State Warriors

By Jerry Ratcliffe

It didn’t take long for former Virginia standout Ty Jerome to find a home, and what a home.

The defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors signed Jerome to their training camp roster on Tuesday, but did not disclose details of the deal. Jerome is already practicing with the team, where he’ll be fighting for a roster spot.

Jerome was part of an eight-player trade between his former parent team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Houston Rockets last week. The Rockets immediately placed Jerome on waivers.

While the Rockets weren’t interested in the 25-year-old point guard, the world champions certainly were. Golden State put Summer League standout Mac McClung on waivers to make room for Jerome, who was part of Virginia’s 2019 NCAA championship team.

The Warriors prefer tall guards, and at 6-foot-5, Jerome has the reach to defend. He is also a good cutter and shooter, although his 3-point shot seemed to have abandoned him last season. Scouts blame that on the Thunder having little inside game, which put more pressure on the perimeter shooters. Jerome always had good range.

Last season, Jerome played in 48 games for the Thunder and started four. He averaged 7.1 points and 2.3 assists, plus owned a decent assist-to-turnover ratio.

Should Jerome fail to make the Golden State roster, he would likely be assigned to the organization’s G-League team in Santa Cruz.