Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Expected to sign with Cleveland
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Merrill (neck) intends to sign a four-year, $38 million deal with the Cavaliers, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Merrill will return to Cleveland on a long-term pact after spending the past three years with the team. The sharpshooter logged a career high in playing time during the 2024-25 campaign, averaging 7.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.9 three-pointers and 1.5 assists across 19.7 minutes per game in 71 regular-season appearances. Merrill should remain a key contributor off the bench, especially if Ty Jerome departs in free agency.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Late scratch Tuesday
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Merrill (neck) has been ruled out for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Pacers, Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Merrill was a late addition to the injury report and will miss Game 5 due to a neck strain. The 28-year-old had played in all eight of Cleveland's playoff games prior to this, making three starts and averaging 5.8 points on 37.5 percent shooting. Merrill's absence puts a greater emphasis on Ty Jerome, De'Andre Hunter and Isaac Okoro to produce off the bench.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Sliding back to bench Tuesday
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Merrill won't start in Tuesday's Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Pacers, Serena Winters of FanDuel Sports Network Ohio reports.
Ty Jerome will receive the starting nod due to Darius Garland (toe) being sidelined, pushing Merrill to the bench. The 28-year-old shooting guard has made five appearances during the playoffs (three starts), averaging 5.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists across 19.8 minutes per game.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Lands three triples in spot start
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Merrill recorded nine points (3-7 FG, 3-7 3Pt), one rebound, one assist and one steal in 19 minutes during Monday's 138-83 victory over the Heat in Game 4 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Merrill started for the second straight game, replacing Darius Garland, who was once again ruled out due to a toe injury. Although Merrill landed a trio of three-pointers, he was barely required as the Cavaliers embarrassed the Heat on their home court. The win wraps up the series for Cleveland, providing an opportunity to rest before facing either the Pacers or the Bucks in the next round.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Available to play
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Merrill, who missed Sunday's regular-season finale against the Pacers for rest, is expected to be ready for the start of the postseason Sunday.
Merrill ended the 2024-25 season with averages of 7.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game across 71 regular-season contests in 19.7 minutes per contest. He's expected to maintain a similar role during the postseason.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Resting in season finale
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Merrill (rest) is out for Sunday's game against the Pacers.
Merrill received a maintenance day Friday, and he won't suit up Sunday, either. The sharpshooter doesn't have a regular starting role for the Cavaliers, but he should provide offense and three-point shooting off the bench ahead of the playoffs. Merrill ends the 2024-25 season with averages of 7.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game across 71 regular-season contests, a span in which he also made 37.2 percent of his attempts from three-point range.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Will rest Friday
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Merrill (rest) will not play Friday against the Knicks.
Merrill will receive a maintenance day for the second leg of this back-to-back set. The Cavaliers could turn to Isaac Okoro to soak up some minutes on the wings in Merrill's absence.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Will start vs. Indiana
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Merrill will be in the starting lineup for the Cavaliers on Thursday against the Pacers.
Merrill will be in the first unit for the fourth time this season. The Utah State product is averaging 13.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 59.1 percent from the field and 60 percent from beyond the arc as a starter.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Starting sans Mitchell
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Merrill will start in Tuesday's game against the Trail Blazers.
The 28-year-old shooting guard will step into the starting lineup for just the third time on the season due to Donovan Mitchell (groin) being sidelined. Over his last five outings, Merrill has averaged 3.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steals across 17.6 minutes per contest.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Ties season high with three steals
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Merrill chipped in five points (2-4 FG, 1-3 3Pt), four rebounds, four assists and three steals over 17 minutes during Friday's 142-105 victory over the Knicks.
Merrill's three steals tied a team-high output with Evan Mobley on Friday, also matching a season high that was set during the Dec. 23 win over Utah. The 28-year-old sharpshooter logged his fewest minutes since the Jan. 25 loss to Houston, and his playing time could begin to dwindle while a deep Cavaliers rotation continues to get healthier. Over his last seven outings, Merrill has averaged 11.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 3.1 three-pointers in 24.4 minutes while shooting 45.8 percent from three-point land.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Balanced outing in return to lineup
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Merrill closed with nine points (3-8 FG, 3-8 3Pt), six rebounds and two steals across 29 minutes during Monday's 128-107 victory over the Timberwolves.
Merrill returned Monday after missing Cleveland's previous contest due to personal reasons, putting forth a balanced outing while leading all bench players in rebounds and steals to go along with finishing one point short of the double-digit mark. Merrill matched a season-high mark in rebounds while posting his 16th outing with nine or more points.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Out for personal reasons
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Merrill (personal) is out for Friday's game against the Wizards.
Merrill won't play Friday for personal reasons, and his next chance to suit up for the Cavaliers arrives Monday against Minnesota. Isaac Okoro (shoulder) is also out, and it's unclear if De'Andre Hunter will be able to join the team in time for Friday's action. With Caris LeVert having been traded, Max Strus and Ty Jerome could be needed to handle heavy minutes against Washington.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Season-best outing as top scorer
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Merrill had 27 points (9-14 FG, 9-13 3Pt) and one rebound across 23 minutes during Sunday's 144-101 victory over the Mavericks.
Merrill shined offensively Sunday while coming off the Cleveland bench, leading all players in scoring and threes made while setting new season-high marks in both categories. Merrill previously held season highs of six threes made and 20 points, but he was red-hot in a blowout win to put together his best outing of the year.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Iffy versus Atlanta
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Merrill (illness) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Hawks.
Merrill is in danger of missing his second straight contest Thursday due to an illness. If the 28-year-old guard is forced to sit out yet again, Craig Porter and Jaylon Tyson could continue to receive increased playing time.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Questionable for Wednesday
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Merrill is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Heat due to an illness.
Merrill was a late addition to the injury report and is in danger of missing the first leg of a back-to-back set. If Merrill is unable to play, Georges Niang and Max Strus could be relied on a bit more for their floor spacing.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Ruled out Wednesday
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Merrill (ankle) is out for Wednesday's game against the Thunder, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.
Merrill was initially listed as questionable, but the former Utah State standout will miss a third straight game with a nagging ankle problem. His next chance to suit up will come Thursday against Toronto in the second leg of this back-to-back set.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Not playing Sunday vs. Hornets
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Merrill (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Charlotte, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.
Merrill will miss a second consecutive game due to an ankle injury he suffered against the Lakers this past Tuesday. His next chance to play will be Wednesday against the Thunder. Caris LeVert, Ty Jerome and Max Strus will continue to see an increase in playing time off the bench for as long as Merrill remains sidelined.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Questionable vs. Hornets
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Merrill (ankle) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Hornets.
Merrill didn't play in the win over the Mavericks on Friday. Even though the questionable tag suggests there is a chance he suits up, a decision will likely be made closer to Sunday's 6 p.m. ET tipoff.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Ruled out against Dallas
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Merrill (ankle) has officially been ruled out for Friday's game against the Mavericks, Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
After playing only eight minutes in the win over the Lakers on Tuesday due to a right ankle sprain, Merrill will not be able to play on Friday in Dallas. Cleveland will likely turn to Max Strus and Caris LeVert to pick up the slack with Merrill on the mend.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Doubtful for Friday
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Merrill (ankle) is doubtful for Friday's game against the Mavericks.
Merrill has an outside chance to play Friday, but the doubtful tag suggests that's an unlikely scenario. In the event that Merrill doesn't suit up, Caris LeVert and Max Strus should see more minutes off the bench.
