Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Nails four triples in return
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Merrill (hip) compiled 14 points (4-6 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT) in 27 minutes off the bench Wednesday in the Cavaliers' 132-121 win over the 76ers.
Though Darius Garland's (toe) season debut was the major storyline for Cleveland, Merrill made a return of his own from a three-game absence, and his bench-leading scoring total helped power the Cavaliers to victory. Merrill should be a key piece of the rotation moving forward, but he'll likely see his playing time take at least a slight hit once Cleveland is back to full strength. In addition to the Cavaliers playing without De'Andre Hunter (illness) and Max Strus (foot), Dean Wade played just 38 seconds before exiting Wednesday's game with an eye injury.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Available Wednesday
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Merrill (hip) has been cleared to play in Wednesday's game against the 76ers, Spencer Davies of SI.com reports.
After missing the last three games due to a hip issue, Merrill is ready to get back on the floor. In four games played this season, he is averaging 17.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 52.5 percent from the field and 51.4 percent from beyond the arc.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Iffy for Wednesday
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Merrill (hip) is questionable to play in Wednesday's game against the 76ers.
Merrill has missed three consecutive games due to a hip issue. If he remains out, the team will likely turn to Jaylon Tyson and Craig Porter to pick up the slack.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Remaining out vs. Atlanta
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Merrill (hip) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Hawks, Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Merrill will miss his third consecutive contest due to a right hip contusion. The sharpshooter's next opportunity to suit up will come Wednesday against the 76ers. With Merrill sidelined, Jaylon Tyson and Craig Porter are candidates for an uptick in playing time.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Questionable for Sunday
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Merrill (hip) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Hawks, Evan Dammarell of DownEuclid.com reports.
Merrill is in jeopardy of missing his third consecutive game due to a right hip contusion, and he's likely to be a game-time decision ahead of Sunday's tipoff at 6:00 p.m. ET. If the sharpshooter is ultimately ruled out, Jaylon Tyson and Craig Porter are candidates for increased playing time.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Out with hip contusion
Rotowire
Merrill is out for Friday's game against the Raptors with a right hip contusion.
After exiting Monday's game against the Pistons early, Merrill will need to miss a second contest in a row due to the injury. The sharpshooter's next chance to take the court comes Sunday against the Hawks. With Darius Garland (toe) still not ready for his season debut, the Cavaliers could turn to Jaylon Tyson for another spot start after he joined the first unit Wednesday against Boston.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Won't return Monday
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Merrill won't return to Monday's game against the Pistons due to a right hip contusion, Spencer Davies of SI.com reports.
Merrill exited to the locker room in the third quarter and will finish the game with 11 points (4-7 FG, 3-6 3Pt), two steals, one rebound and one assist in 18 minutes. With the sharpshooter sidelined, Jaylon Tyson and Craig Porter are candidates for increased minutes the rest of the way. Merrill's status will be worth monitoring ahead of Wednesday's game against Boston.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Exits to locker room Monday
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Merrill (undisclosed) exited to the locker room in the third quarter of Monday's game against the Pistons, Danny Cunningham of the Locked On Podcast Network reports.
Merrill checked out of Monday's contest with 6:36 remaining in the third. If he's unable to return, Jaylon Tyson and Craig Porter are candidates for increased minutes the rest of the way.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Stays hot in win
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Merrill registered 17 points (5-11 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 3-3 FT), three rebounds and one assist in 30 minutes during Sunday's 118-113 victory over the Bucks.
Merrill's hot start to the season continued Sunday as the Cavaliers improved to 2-1 to open the campaign. He's looking like a bargain after signing a four-year, $38 million deal at the beginning of the offseason. Through three games, the sharpshooter is averaging 19.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 5.0 three-pointers on 51.5 percent shooting from the field.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Catches fire from deep
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Merrill racked up 22 points (6-11 FG, 6-10 3Pt, 4-4 FT), one rebound, five assists, one block and one steal across 26 minutes during Friday's 131-124 win over Brooklyn.
Merrill has been dominant from beyond the arc in his first two appearances of the 2025-26 campaign, drilling 11 total threes over this brief stretch. He ended the night tied for second in scoring behind Donovan Mitchell's 35-point performance and also managed to make an impact on the opposite end of the court. Merrill has proven that he's more than capable of filling in while the Cavs deal with injuries to De'Andre Hunter (knee), Darius Garland (toe) and Max Strus (foot).
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Drops 10 points in win
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Merrill closed with 10 points (4-7 FG, 2-5 3Pt), one rebound, one assist and one steal in 20 minutes during Tuesday's preseason win over the Pistons.
Merrill made his preseason debut, sliding straight into the starting lineup. With both Darius Garland (toe) and Max Strus (foot) sidelined to begin the season, Merrill will likely be tasked with more responsibility on the offensive end of the floor. Look for him to play a meaningful role off the bench, at least until Garland and Strus are cleared to return.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Good to go Tuesday
Rotowire
Merrill is available and starting in Tuesday's preseason game against the Pistons.
Merrill will suit up in Cleveland's preseason finale after missing the team's first three exhibition games. The sharpshooter is expected to take on an increased role to begin the regular season due to Darius Garland (toe) and Max Strus (foot) being sidelined.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Does not play Sunday
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Merrill (undisclosed) did not play during Sunday's 138-107 preseason loss to the Celtics.
Merrill missed another preseason contest due to a minor injury. His next chance to suit up comes Tuesday against the Pistons.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Absent again Thursday
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Merrill (undisclosed) didn't play in Thursday's 119-112 preseason loss against the Bulls.
Merrill hasn't yet been able to take the court this preseason due to a minor injury. He can continue to be considered day-to-day leading up to Sunday's exhibition in Boston.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Won't play Tuesday
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Merrill (undisclosed) won't play in Tuesday's preseason game against the Bulls, Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Merrill is dealing with a "minor injury" and won't suit up in Cleveland's preseason opener. His next opportunity to play will come in Thursday's rematch against Chicago. Tyrese Proctor, Luke Travers and Killian Hayes are candidates for increased minutes with Merrill sidelined.
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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: 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
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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.
